


The Accomplice

by Wherever_Girl



Category: Fangface (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Language, Old Work, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 61,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherever_Girl/pseuds/Wherever_Girl
Summary: *yet another fic carried over from my old account*Puggsy just can't seem to get a break.During a visit to San Francisco, he gets fed up with his best friend's relationship with a new girlfriend, gets into a fight with the rest of the gang when he loses his temper, and is too proud to bring up the reason behind his foul attitude. It isn't until he meets a new friend that he feels like things will get better.But instead they get worse.And keep getting worse.The final irony is the fact that he despises romance-based plots!Not that anything about this can be considered romantic... can it?[Based off a series created long ago by a friend and I. Original Characters belong to me, my friends Scoobycool9 and Tracker78, and my boyfriend. Original series is still on Fanfiction(dot)Net, and artwork can be found on DeviantArt].
Relationships: Fangface/OC, Puggsy/OC, Sherman "Fangs" Fangsworth/OC





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to move my Puggsy/OC fics here for some time, and I decided to start with one of my... better-written ones. When I first started the shipping-game, my writing was worse than this--- considering I was new at fanfiction, and the only experience with romance that I had came from Disney movies.
> 
> This series in particular started out as one-shots, which are still on my old account, but after some time I decided I would convert the Accomplice AU Trilogy into one story, rather than subject readers into scrolling through a 72-page fic. (Anyone else ever go through an old story and also think, 'Oh man, what was I thinking?' XD)
> 
> This fic is also connected to Tracker78's "The Hunter's Moon" series; it was her fics that first inspired me to write The Accomplice (the first draft), and this is an alternate-universe take on her plot--- originally, our characters were pretty much orphaned. In this AU, however, the parents are alive and well. There are also characters from my other stories such as, "Kidnappified", "Missing in Fiction" (yet another long trilogy I wrote with friends), and my boyfriend's "The Chosen One" fics. There is also a reference to Scoobycool9's "Reality Twisted" series, though mainly it just involves one of his own OC which he allowed me to use as well. (Man, all that feels like centuries ago...)  
> I included a lot of alterations to those plots in this series, which I tried to sum up as best as I could. If I get permission from my friend and boyfriend, I may write a prequel and sequel to this story. It also depends how kind time is. 
> 
> With the trivia out of the way, I hope you can enjoy this story.

It was a cool fall day in San Francisco, as the Fangface Gang visited their friends, Stutz and Luca. They were helping Stutz prepare to move into a new apartment, as he had been going to college in Texas for the past couple of years, but transferred to a new university to be closer to home. Toni, Puggsy's cousin, wanted to come as Luca was her best friend, but her parents forbid it after she had gotten into a fight at school, let alone didn't want her missing two weeks of school anyway… plus, Fangpuss and Claw needed the company since they had to stay behind, as they were starting preschool that year.

Though what Fangpuss, Claw, and Toni's parents didn't say was that they wanted their kids to stay home and away from any more perils, after hearing about what the gang encountered last year... when they met Kasandra Bickerson, aka Hunter the she-wolf.

The gang had been visiting Texas to see Fangs' twin sister, Samantha/Storm, and Stutz at their old college when Martin, a school-friend of Sam's, invited her over to his parents for dinner. Later that night the gang is receiving a call from Sam about some lunatic who tried breaking in and sliced Martin's father on the arm before making a run for it, and figured he would be back. When they arrived, the fiend had returned, revealing to be a werewolf hunter named Vincent Fondane who found out a werewolf family was living nearby and was out for blood, where the gang realized the Bickersons were all werewolves, save for Martin.

(And yes, Puggsy _did_ nearly have a stroke)

Luckily, with the gang's help, Vincent was captured and taken away by the police… but it wasn't a victory for the gang yet, as the villain had broken out of prison months ago, and this time was targeting the Fangface gang, and he had a few tricks up his sleeves.


	2. Personal Issues Regarding Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't you hate it when you're out with your friends, then your best friend and his girlfriend that you don't get along with get all lovey-dovey to the point where you feel like you don't exist, then get into an argument with another friend who you think is dating your other friend even though she says she isn't, and the only bright side of the evening is that you saved someone from a stalker?
> 
> Or, the chapter where it's plainly obvious that Puggsy really hates romance.

After helping Stutz move, the gang checked into a hotel; while everyone was resting after their day of labor, Kasandra called her parents, having promised to check in on them as often as she could. "Hi, mom, is everything going okay?" she asked once she was on the line.

"Everything is okay here, sweetie. Your father set up a new security system so that no more hunters try to get on the property," Lilly, her mother, replied… as well as looking out the window where her husband had set up a 10 ft electric fence with barb wire, and automated guns that fired at anything that came within 3 feet of the property (a bird getting shot down). "…I hope Vincent is caught soon, though, just so your dad can ease down on the drastic measures."

"Honey, where do we keep the magnum?" came Blaze's (Hunter's father) voice from the background.

Her mother sighed, rolling her eyes. "How are you and your friends doing?"

"Good, no sign of trouble so far. We'll be heading back to Brooklyn next week," Kasandra replied.

"Oh, good. I have to go now, before your father gets the idea to plant land mines."

"Okay, love you both."

"We love you too, honey. You stay safe,"

"You too." With that, she hung up, then turned to Fangs, who was watching television while she was on the phone.

"How is everything?" Fangs asked her.

"Good, Dad's setting up one heck of a security system, it sounds like."

"Ooh, ooh, I don't blame him. I'm surprised he hasn't planted land mines yet!"

Kasandra chuckled. "Don't worry, Fangs, everything is alright now. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Vincent was arrested again by now. He IS a wanted man, you know."

"Yeah… but I'm still scared. I don't want anything to happen to us… especially you," he stood up and wrapped his arm around her.

She rested her head on his shoulder. After the first six months since she began travelling with the gang, as she had decided to do to not only make sure they caught Vincent but also to fulfill her desire to see the world, she and Fangs had become close and developed a romance, the same going for Hunter and Fangface.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," she told him, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Plus, I have to make sure nothing bad happens to you, either."

"Have fun with that responsibility," came a voice, and they looked over at Puggsy, who was sitting in a chair across the room, having killed the romantic atmosphere that could have taken place. "Keeping Fangs out of trouble is as hard as pushing a ten-ton truck up a hill."

"Heh, a task that's easy for werewolves, so no problem." she retorted.

Kasandra thought Puggsy was a real jerk, and was always there to keep him in line if he started to torment Fangs, though she knew that- for some reason she didn't know- they were good friends, no matter how many times Fangface tried to eat him (which she was trying to train him to quit, not wanting him to eat any 'junk food'). There were times when she wanted to turn into Hunter and attack the loudmouth herself, but the way her mother raised her, she learned how to get him back with her wit rather than brawn (let alone it was more fun to watch Fangface harass him).

Plus, he was a loyal friend to the werewolves. She could tell this from how he tried to wrestle the gun away from Vincent when the hunter was about to shoot Fangface, and threatened that if the hunter even _thought_ about coming after the gang or her family again, he would make sure the villain would die a slow and painful death. Being good friends with the werewolves despite the antics they put him through, it was no wonder Vincent promised he would make Puggsy his first 'human' target and shoot him on sight.

He was a jerk, but he was still a good friend.

"C'mon, lets go meet up with the others," Fangs said quickly, to prevent an argument between his best friend and his girlfriend (always hating to be caught in the middle). "It's almost 5,"

"Yeah, lets go," Puggsy muttered in agreement, and they walked out to meet up with Biff, Kim, and Stutz at a movie theater, where they were seeing _Van Helsing._

_After a twenty minute walk, they stood in line for the movie with their friends._

"S-So d-did y-y-you hear anything f-from S-Sam or M-Martin lately?" Stutz asked Fangs and Kasandra. He had survived a plane-crash when he was a kid, and it resulted in him having a stutter in his speech… as well as a fear of flying.

"I talked with Sam today, she and Martin are doing fine." Fangs replied, though sneered a bit. "Though… as much as they've been hanging out, I'm starting to think they're _going_ out,"

"That doesn't bother you, does it?" Kasandra asked, slyly.

"What? Of course not! Why would I be upset that some kid is dating my twin sister?"

"FYI, 'that kid' is my brother… and you seem a little antsy about it."

"Okay, okay, so it makes me uncomfortable! I guess I'm just defensive about someone dating my sister. I mean, your brother must feel the same way about us, right?"

"True, but don't worry about it. Martin's a good kid, and he knows you're a great guy too."

"Plus, I-I think t-they're s-still f-friends, s-since M-Martin t-told me h-he w-w-wasn't going t-to be r-r-ready for a r-r-relationship until after V-Vincent is g-gone for g-good," Stutz added.

"Yeah, and even if they were dating, Kasandra is right- there's nothing to be upset about," Kim added.

"And they'll be looking out for each other even better," Biff put in.

As the others talked about Sam and Martin having a 'could be' relationship, Puggsy tried to tune them out, not being one to talk about romance and junk like that. It was annoying enough that he had to be around Fangs and Kasandra when they express their feelings. Nowadays he would tag along with Biff and Kim to avoid the love-induced atmosphere, only to notice how close Biff was to Kim, possibly having a crush on her, or they were secretly going out but didn't want to tell anyone just yet.

It didn't take him long to realize that he was the only one without a girl at his side… yet it didn't bother him, he just found it annoying to be around his friends while they were love-struck. True, he tried to go out with a few girls, even find a relationship, but something never worked out- the girls he dated would either find him obnoxious, would be too prissy and annoying, or turn out to be sluts that didn't really care about getting to know him, and ended up cheating on him when he made it clear he wasn't ready for such a step. On one occasion, a girl went as far as squirting pepper-spray in his eyes, but only because- in an attempt to ask her out- he tripped and pulled her down, making her think he was some perverted creep.

After having enough of getting turned down or played by so many girls, he decided to give up searching for a girlfriend and just hang out with his friends, since- before Kasandra came along- no romance was involved, except for the time Fangface fell in love with the actress Raquel Taylor, though it only ended up being a crush which faded after their encounter with a gargoyle, and a time when he was entranced by a she-wolf robot, but quickly lost interest after Fangpuss made it to where the robot acted more like a stubborn house-wife.

He figured it would be like that for a few more years- him and his friends traveling, just hanging out, fending off a few creeps along the way, and keeping everything platonic. But the moment they saw Hunter, he knew for sure things were going to change- it was easy to tell from the way Fangface looked at her, excited at first at meeting a fellow-werewolf, but he knew sooner or later that excitement would turn to fancy, especially since Hunter seemed fond of him as well.

_Well, at least she's not a robot, and she tends to keep Fangface in-line,_ he thought at first, knowing that with Hunter around, Fangface thought more of her than he did about attacking him… unless he did or said something that would cause the werewolf to put him through some form of harassment. But as time went on, he found their romance to be more irritating than Fangface's usual attacks, and even felt slight disgust at how Hunter would 'charm' Fangface out of eating or attacking him rather than just rub his foot or remind him that Puggsy was his friend.

The weird thing was, he barely heard that phrase anymore: "Puggsy's your friend, remember?" It was as if, with Hunter there to persuade Fangface to leave him alone, the werewolf forgot his buddy was present and turned his full attention on the she-wolf, not even apologizing to Puggsy anymore when he'd shove him into something, or toss him around, or make a sandwich out of him, let alone stopped kissing him on the cheek to add on to it (which Puggsy didn't really miss, yet figured the only reason he stopped was because Hunter was present and didn't want her to think wrong of him).

Even Biff and Kim stopped trying to keep Fangface from attacking/eating him, perhaps because they knew Hunter could sort things out now, maybe even prevent him from doing it anymore in the future. Puggsy would try to say it a few times himself as he used to do, but Hunter would always manage to step up before he could say anything. It was the only time when he could remind his best friend that he _was_ his best friend, and always would be, despite the torment or attitude he'd give, and there was no reason for the werewolf to think otherwise…

Now, though, the only reason he stopped was because his 'girlfriend told him to'.

It made him sick, and hearing that the others were talking about Sam and Martin being in love next was getting to him. He was happy that his friends found someone to love, he really was… but he just couldn't stand the talk of romance and all the pet-names and dating plans or discussing ideas on what it would be like after they got married or had kids. He just wasn't the kind of guy who thought about those things, and he wished his friends would shut up about it unless they were alone with their lovers.

"Puggsy? …Hey, Puggsy!" Biff exclaimed, tapping him on the shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts.

"What?" Puggsy asked, and Biff pointed ahead, and the teen saw that the line had moved… so much, in fact that there was a 5 foot gap between him and the ticket booth.

"The line's moved," Fangs pointed out.

Puggsy moved quick, the others following, as they bought their tickets and entered the theater, him and Stutz buying some snacks while the others looked for some good seats. "You r-r-really spaced out b-back there. Is something w-w-wrong?" Stutz asked, though tried to control his stutter, after learning how easily irritated Puggsy could get.

"Nah, I was just thinking and got lost in thought," Puggsy replied. "There's been a lot on my mind lately,"

"L-Like w-w-what?"

"Is it any of your business?"

"No… I w-w-was just w-w-…" he paused, a bit aggravated, taking in a deep breath. "w-wondering."

"Eh, it's nothing big."

Stutz nodded, though wasn't convinced. _It has to be something, if it causes him to space out from reality that long._ he figured, but decided not to press the issue.

Getting some popcorn and sodas, they met up with the others, passing the snacks around then watching as the movie came on… and after a few minutes, the moon was shown, and Fangs and Kasandra transformed into their werewolf halves. "Arrooooo! Where's Pugs?! Where's-" Fangface growled.

"SHUSH!" The rest of the audience hissed loudly, making the werewolf cringe in his seat.

"…where's pugs…?" he whispered quietly, then upon noticing his friend sitting next to him, grabbed him. "gotcha."

Puggsy sighed, waiting for the werewolf to start shaking him, until Hunter put a paw on her love's shoulder, stopping him before he could do anything. "Let him go, Fangsy. Lets watch the movie," she told him quietly.

"Ooh, ooh, whatever you say." With that, he let go of Puggsy and put his arm around Hunter, not even giving his friend a second glance.

He slouched in his seat, resting his face on his fist and glaring at the screen, hoping that watching Van Helsing slay Mr. Hyde would help get his mind off things.

Nope.

Halfway through the movie, Biff put his arm around Kim, and Hunter was nuzzling close to Fangface, and Stutz… well, he passed out from the sight of blood after the first ten minutes so he was unconscious. Puggsy tried to pay attention to the movie, but every couple seconds his eyes would drift towards the werewolves, watching as they stayed close, barely moving an inch away from each other. _Damn it, why do I care that they're so close?_ he thought bitterly, his eyes turning back and forth between the screen and his friends. _So they've got their arms around each other, it's not like they're… oh for the love of… is she…?_

He watched as Hunter had cupped Fangface's cheek in her palm, and was moving in to kiss.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Would you two just watch the movie?!" Puggsy snapped, startling everyone.

"SHUSH!" went the audience.

"Huh? W-W-What did I m-miss?" Stutz asked, snapping awake… then saw Van Helsing slay a vampire, blood everywhere, and passed out again.

"What's up with you?" Hunter demanded quietly.

Puggsy slouched. "Never mind. I'm stepping outside, tell me how the movie ends," he muttered, then got up and left.

"I'll go talk to him," Kim whispered, then followed Puggsy outside. "Puggsy, what's wrong?"

The short teen let out a quiet breath, keeping his attention on other things. "Nothing's wrong, I just needed some air."

She crossed her arms, unconvinced. "That doesn't explain why you snapped at Fangface and Hunter. Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me, Kim! I was just… getting a little closet-phobia in the crowd, alright?"

"I doubt that. Tell me what's going on… or do I have to deal with you myself?"

Kim, despite how friendly she was and seemed like the every-day nice-girl, had a tendency to rough people up if they got too cocky… yet only when she was pissed off. Puggsy learned this a week after the gang first met, when he was tormenting Fangs and Kim grabbed him by the ear, hauled him around the corner, chewed him out (as well as slapping him) and forced him to apologize. What no one knew was that, next to Fangface, Kim was the second member of the group who was intimidating enough to make Puggsy drop the attitude, yet she didn't want to make everyone think she was cruel and had the mind to coax them, only showing her rage if necessary.

Next to being eaten by Fangface, getting slapped across the face by Kim was the last thing Puggsy wanted. "Fine. I'm sick of all the romance between you all- you happy now?" he sneered.

"Romance? Is that it?" Kim questioned.

"What do you mean, ‘is that it?’? Ever since Kasandra and Fangs started dating, it's basically all you guys ever bring up! And you and Biff aren't really helping that much either!"

"Me and Biff…?! What are you _talking_ about?!"

"Oh, don't try to hide it, Kim! I see what's going on between you guys!"

She gave him a look. "NOTHING is going on between us! We're just friends!"

"Yeah, then how come you're getting so close, huh?"

"Biff and I have always been close… but that doesn't mean- Why does this upset you anyway?" her eyes widened a bit. "You… you don't feel like a fifth wheel, do you?"

He began to fume. "NO, I _don't_! I just find it annoying that we can't even go out to a movie without two of you putting your arms around each other, or trying to make out… especially when one of your friends is sitting right next to you, and you forget they exist!"

"They're just in love, Puggsy! It happens, but that doesn't mean… I mean, they just…"

"I know. They get so wrapped up in each other that no one else matters- I've heard that line a thousand times in movies before."

"You still matter! If you found the perfect person, you'd understand!"

He scoffed. "Sure. Look, you guys can continue your double-date. I'm going back to the hotel."

Kim scowled. "It's NOT a double-date! I told you, Biff and I are just friends!"

"Not the way _I've_ been seeing it."

The secondary leader fumed, shaking her head. "You know what? Forget it. If you’re going to throw a tantrum because your best friend has a girlfriend, you do it alone. Talk to me when you learn to grow up!” With that, she then stormed back into the theater.

Puggsy sighed, but trudged on, heading back to the hotel… but didn't go to his room. Not when he knew that Fangface and Hunter would be back after the movie, and would want to snuggle up and fall asleep in each other's arms- which would be awkward to do if he were in the room. It was bad enough he caused a scene at the movie, he didn't want to spend the night arguing about it further.

Instead, he walked up to the roof, deciding he'd hang out there for a couple hours until everyone fell asleep, and looked out at all the bright lights and cars speeding along. It was cold out, and he kicked himself for not grabbing his jacket, as he breathed softly and could see his breath, watching it fade away, and he closed his eyes, wanting to clear his head of everything, allowing the cold to blow around him as long as it helped.

"Hey!"

His eyes shot open upon hearing a shout, and he looked over, seeing some kid in a black jacket, a hood pulled over their heads, running towards him. As they got closer, he noticed the kid was a teenage girl, noticing some blond bangs hanging down the side of her face, and looked to be 18, yet stood to be his height if not an inch shorter.

"Can you help me out?" she asked, out of breath. "There's some goon chasing after me. He was stalking me, and I think he's on his way up here! I think I saw a gun on him!"

"Alright, just calm down. There’s an emergency exit over here,” Puggsy told her; they walked over to where a fire escape was, when suddenly someone yanked the girl off to the side, and he saw the stalker was a boy with dark brown hair, green eyes, at least a foot taller than him… and indeed had a gun. "Hey! Let her go!"

"Back off, half-pint!" he snapped, then turned to the girl. "As for you, you little bitch, you're coming with me! Try to resist, and I'll put a bullet in your-"

*Bap!*

The girl kicked him in the shin, and he released her. "Yeow! Ooh, you little-"

*BAM!*

Puggsy punched him in the face, knocking him out then grabbing the gun off him. "Geez, some people just can't take a hint, can they?" he quipped.

"Tell me about it," The girl scoffed. "C'mon, lets get inside, I'll call the cops."

"Has he been chasifying you all night?"

"Nah. I just walked out of my hotel room, headed down to the lobby, seeing him following me. I figured he was just walking by, so I went into the café, and he walked in there next, watching me from behind a menu. I tried going back up to my room, but I had left my key and phone in my room, so my best option was to run. I was in such a panic that I ended up running up to the roof. …When I saw you, I was a little relieved--- though I probably lucked out. You might be another creep!”

"Trust me, I'm no creepo. My name's Puggsy,"

She shook his hand. "Call me Astrid. Astrid Southerland."

"Southerland? You related to anyone named Biff?"

"No, why?"

"I have a friend with the same last name."

She shrugged. "Not such an uncommon surname, though it could be possible. Hard to say, I lost contact with my family four years ago after I started traveling."

"Ah. What for?"

She scoffed. "Is it any of your business?"

He arched an eyebrow. "No… just wondering." _Sheesh, talk about touchy._ he thought.

"Meh, whatever." They stopped at the elevators. “Well, thanks for the help, Puggsy. I’m going to report that guy to the front desk and have them call the police… as well as see if I can get a spare room-key. Thanks for saving my ass,”

He chuckled. "Anytime, Astrid."

She began to walk in, but paused. "Hey, maybe we could meet up tomorrow or something. You hanging out with anyone tomorrow?"

"Well, my friends and I are in town for the week, so… maybe, sure."

"Cool. Let me know if you feel like it… Who knows? I might need your help taking out another sicko."

He smirked, scoffing a bit. "Alright, let me know if a burglar breaks in then. Night."

"Night." She walked into the elevator, and he went back to his room.

It was an odd way to end the day, but on the bright side, it got his mind off his issues.


	3. Short Fuse, Thy Name is Puggsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter tries to talk to Puggsy about how he feels about her relationship with his best friend, but the short teen's stubborn attitude keeps him from making peace. After another outburst during breakfast, Fangs finally tells him to either deal with the facts or else stay out of it.   
> As Puggsy tries to figure out why the idea of his friends dating bothers him to such a degree, he finds someone who can understand most of the reason behind his bad attitude.

The next morning, Puggsy got up, seeing Hunter was awake already, Fangface nowhere to be seen. "Hey, morning." she greeted him, sitting in the chair, reading a magazine. "We didn’t see you outside last night. Where’d you go?”

"Eh, I hung out on the roof… and a weird thing happened last night. I was outside, and this girl came running up with some creep following. I had to knock him out when he pulled out a gun,"

"Did you call the cops?"

"Yeah, the girl went down to the front desk and retorted it. She's staying at this hotel, and asked if we wanted to hang out with her later,"

Hunter chuckled. "I hope she doesn't mind werewolves."

The short teen looked around the room. "Speaking of which, where's Fangface? It's rare to see him absent from your side these days,"

The she-wolf rolled her eyes. "Funny. …He's out on the balcony, calling up Storm to check up on her," she looked out the balcony doors, seeing Fangface standing on one foot on a chair, holding his cell-phone up high. "…and having trouble finding good reception, it looks like."

"Alright, well I'll meet you two downstairs…" He headed for the door.

Hunter got up quick. "Pugs, wait… I want to talk to you about something."

He paused. _If this has anything to do with last night…_ he thought bitterly, but instead, calmly replied, "What is it?"

The she-wolf looked out the window, making sure Fangface wasn't listening, and turned back to the teen. "I… I want to know how you feel about Fangface and I dating. Be honest."

He arched an eyebrow. "Why do you care about my opinion? It's not like I'm his keeper or something,"

"You keep getting all tensed up when we're together—and you nearly bit our heads off last night. I just want to know if you're okay with it, and that you don't think I'm trying to steal away your best friend or anything,"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I just can't stand seeing you both romantified,"

"So, you _do_ have a problem with it?"

"What the…? No! I just hate romance, alright? Next time you guys want to get all mushy, get a room first! Sheesh!" with that, he stormed out.

"Someone really needs a kick in the pants," Hunter sneered to herself, then walked out onto the balcony. "Any luck, hon?"

"Almost!" Fangface exclaimed… now standing on one hand, bending his legs like an old TV antenna as he did so, while talking on the phone. "Okay, can you hear me now? …How about now? …Now- WHOOP!"

*Thud!*

Hunter shook her head, staring at her beau as he was sprawled on the concrete patio. "Any further to the left, and you'd be in the hospital," she quipped.

"Maybe I'll just send her a text…" Fangface groaned, hanging up.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Puggsy and the werewolves met up by the café for breakfast a few minutes later. The sun shined through the windows, thereby changing the werewolves back to human. "Ooh, I hate when that happens," Fangs said, steadying himself. "I always get dizzy,"

"As if you weren't dizzy enough," Puggsy remarked.

Kasandra gave him a glare, then turned back to Fangs. "Don't worry, Fangs. Maybe this will clear it up," she said, then kissed him on the lips.

_Gag me._ Puggsy thought, grimacing.

Fangs grinned after they broke out of their kiss. "You're right, that does feel better." he said.

"Makes me feel sick," Puggsy said quietly to himself.

Biff walked over just then. "Hey guys, ready to eat?" he asked.

"Sure are… but where's Kim?" Kasandra asked, noticing one of their friends was absent.

"She said she'd meet up with us later… Actually, I'm a little concerned." Out of the corner of his eye, he gave Puggsy a sharp glare. "She was really upset last night."

Puggsy cringed a bit. _Oh, for the love of…_ he thought. "We'll see how she's doing later. Right now, lets get something to eat," he sighed, hiding the irritation in his voice. Why was everyone getting so touchy about how he felt about two of his friends going out? It's not like he cared… much.

They sat down at a table, placing their orders, then Fangs brought up how Samantha texted him back before they came down. "…and it's official. She and Martin are going out," he muttered, sighing a bit. “So much for waiting…”

"Remember what we said last night- it's nothing to get worked up about," Kasandra told him, holding his hand.

"I know… Well, at least I know my sister's in good hands, and found someone special like what I did," Fangs smiled, nuzzling her cheek.

"Yeah. Just think, if you hadn't come along last year, I'd have nothing good in my life."

"Well, you do now… and I'm glad I do, too." With that, he gave her a kiss on the neck.

"Geez, would you two ease up on the affection?!" Puggsy snapped… a little louder than he planned, as a few people in the café fell silent and looked over at their table.

Kasandra and Fangs both gave him a sharp glare, until the coward turned to his beau. "Kassy, can you excuse us a minute? I need to speak with my 'friend' _outside_ ,"

The way he said 'friend' only made Puggsy scowl, and he and Fangs stormed outside the hotel… and to his shock, Fangs shoved him hard enough to nearly have him hit the pavement! “Yow! Fangs, what the---?!”

"What is your deal, Puggsy?!" Fangs snapped, his tone more harsh than what he had expected. "How come you've been acting like a total jerk around me and Kassy lately, huh?! Do you have a problem with me having a girlfriend or something?!"

He scowled. "The only time I have a problem with it is when the two of you act like you’re in a chick-flick! It's annoying!"

"It's called 'being in love', Pugs! Try it sometime! Just because you don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean you have to harass me about it! And if you can't handle it then… then just stay away from us!" With that, Fangs stormed back into the hotel.

Puggsy clenched his fists, then stormed off down the street.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kim walked down from the room, just in time to hear the commotion outside, and watched Fangs storm in… and she saw tears in his eyes. "Fangs! What's the matter?" she gasped, rushing over to his side. “What happened?”

Fangs took in a deep breath. "I got in a fight with Puggsy, and I…" he sniffled, wiping his eyes. "I just told him to leave me and Kassy alone if he was going to keep being a jerk."

Kim led him over to some chairs and they sat down. "Tell me everything,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Puggsy trudged along until he came across a bench, sitting down and resting his face in his hands. _What's my problem? Why am I letting Fangs and Kassy's relationship bother me so much?_ he wondered, and his head began to ache just by trying to think of an answer. _I can't be jealous- I swore off trying to find a girlfriend a long time ago, and just hang out with the others until we decided to move on with our lives… Is that it? Are we beginning to drift apart? ...No way. Not after what happened last year. We're all still friends, romance or no romance! ...so why the hell am I imagining life without them?  
_

"Are you okay?"

He gasped, his head jerking up, and he noticed Astrid sitting right next to him! "Gah! Leaping ignorpotomas, what… what are you doing here?" he stammered, then noticed her hood was down today, seeing she had long blonde hair, and her eyes were blue.

She shrugged. "Sitting, for the most part. I was in the lobby when I heard you shout in the café, and watched you storm out with someone. When you didn't come back in, well, I decided to see if you were okay."

Puggsy scoffed. "You don't even know me, why would you care?"

She sneered. "You don't know me, yet you still helped me get rid of that creep last night."

"That was different, you were in trouble,"

"And you seem to be in trouble yourself, and I want to return the favor. You don't have to tell me everything- just tell me what's bothering you, and maybe I can help."

Puggsy sighed. "Everyone's getting on my case today, aren't they? …Alright, my best friend has a girlfriend, they keep getting all lovey-dovey, it makes me sick, and we got in a fight about it. That's it." he rested his face on his palm, waving his other hand. "So go ahead, tell me 'it's just love', 'I shouldn't be upset' and all that crap,"

"Actually, I understand."

His eyes widened, and he looked at her. "You do?"

"Heck yeah! I can't stand romance either. If I had to hang around a couple of love-birds and watch them make goo-goo eyes all day, I'd snap too. Don't get me wrong, it's nice that they're in love, but can they try to keep it between themselves and NOT show it off to other people?"

Puggsy felt relief wash over him. "FINALLY someone who gets it! _Thank_ you!"

Astrid shrugged. "Meh, I do what I can do. Well, hope you guys work things out. I'm off,"

"Hey, wait… didn't you want to hang out today or something?"

She smirked, scoffing as she looked at him. "You hardly know me, remember?"

"Heh, that didn’t keep you from giving the invitation last night. Plus, we can get to know each other more. I already told you my problem, so that's a start, right?"

She shrugged. "Alright. Want to see if one of your friends wants to tag along?"

Puggsy looked back at the hotel. _"If you can't handle it, then just stay away from us!"_ Fangs' words seemed to repeat in his head, and he turned back to Astrid. "I, uh, don't think they want to hang out with me for a while. I might just let them cool down, first."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. Okay, then, c'mon, there's a pastry shop just up the street, we can get breakfast there."

"Sounds good to me,"


	4. Blowing Off Steam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang decides to hold an intervention about Puggsy's attitude. Meanwhile, the short teen tells his newfound acquaintance how he first met Fangface, and how much their friendship means to him; in turn she tells him about her sheltered life and how she went off on her own. They decide to drop the personal problems long enough to have some fun in an arcade.

"…and that's when I just blew up, telling him that just because he doesn't have a girlfriend doesn't mean he should torment me and Kassy, and then I came back in," Fangs finished telling the others. He had told Kim first, then repeated the story to Biff and Kasandra.

"Well, it's good that you stood up to him," Biff firmly stated in support.

Fangs sighed, resting his face in his hands. "Then why do I feel so bad?"

"You did sound a little harsh, on the part mentioning he doesn't have a girlfriend," Kasandra pointed out. "But, you know, he's been acting like a jerk, so it's about time you gave him a taste of his own medicine!"

Fangs shook his head. "I don't know, guys… I should go look for him, try to fix things up before it gets worse,"

"It won't be easy- I already tried, but he still shut me out," Kim replied, solemnly.

"Then I guess we'll have to stage an intervention. When he gets back, we'll meet up with him," Biff assured. "He should be back in a couple hours. Just give him time to calm down,"

"...if that's possible," Kasandra scoffed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Puggsy and Astrid were walking through the mall, after buying a couple muffins and coffees for breakfast, and he told her about all the places he had been and all the trouble he and the gang got into, as well as what the werewolves put him through. "No kidding, your friends are actually werewolves?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but I've got the bite-marks to prove it," he replied.

"I'm surprised you're not carrying silver on you, or keeping wolfsbane planted in your yard,"

"Ah, they're not that bad. Me and Fangface are always watching each other's backs in the face of danger, and he's always there to help in any kind of saturation."

"How did you guys meet?"

"It was a long time ago… I got in trouble with some gang-members who rigged a boxing match I was in; I refused to throw the fight, they came after me, and I ran into Fangface out in the woods during my escape. We didn't really start out as friends, but after a couple more villains came after us, we had to work together to save everyone as well as ourselves, and… he looked out for all of us, making sure no creeps tried to harm us. I remember one time when I was kidnappified, and the gang came to my rescue, and this psychotical kid pulled out a gun to shoot Fangface, but I shielded him from it." He pulled his shirt collar a ways, showing a scar just above his heart. "I had a mirror tucked away in my shirt so it caught the bullet, but it still caused some damage."

Astrid stared for a bit, surprised. "Wow… so, you really care about him,"

Puggsy nodded. "He's my best friend, what can I say?" he cleared his throat after a pause. "So… what about you? What kind of friends do you have?"

Astrid scoffed. "They're not werewolves, to start with… actually, I don't think they're really 'friends' of mine. They're just children of my parents' friends, who I was set up with to hang around during get-togethers. I didn't have much in common with them, and they didn't really see me as part of their clique. The only time I ever saw them was at school, and they kept their distance."

"Ouch, so no point in asking if you kept in contact, huh?"

"Nope. I wanted to make friends myself, but my parents didn't approve of anyone, claiming I didn’t have the social capability yet- actually, they didn't think I was capable of doing anything on my own."

He arched an eyebrow. "What kind of parents would think that?"

Astrid clenched her fists, but remained calm. "The same kind who have a set of twins, but one is born sick and had to stay in the hospital longer than her brother, who grew up healthy and strong and was allowed to travel when he was only 16, while she had to stay at home and watch as everyone did things for her because they thought she was so damn fragile…" her jaw was clenching as she finished, and she let out a heavy sigh. "One day, I was sick of it, so I saved up all my money and decided to travel, taking self-defense classes as I did just so I could protect myself and prove I wasn't so weak. I plan on buying a gun next, after last night." she looked at him. "I suppose you're going to tell me I should go back, right?"

"You should… but, I see your point. Parents need to let their kids get out on their own once they're old enough, and let them learn how to do things on their own. You should at least call them, let them know you're alright and doing fine- they must be worried sick."

She sighed. "I did try calling them once, a couple years ago. …All they did was chew me out, tell me how irresponsible I was, and that I needed to come home before I got myself killed. I tried telling them about all the things I've done, and that I was doing okay, but they didn't listen, thinking I wasn't ready to be out in the world. I wanted to tell them that I've already seen part of the world- I went all the way to England, and Japan! I may head to Italy, next.” Puggsy gave her a look, and she grinned. “I come from a classy family. I can afford a lot of trips,”

"Heh, well I've been on a few different continents myself. My family was worried, too, but as long as I was alright they didn't fuss so much- my younger cousin, Toni, mostly wants me to bring something back for her." he cleared his throat. "But, still, you'd think that, after all these years, they'd realize you were capable of handling yourself."

"Yeah, only my brother understands. He's seen half the world before he was out of school, made great friends… Mom and Dad barely contact him, knowing he can take good care of himself. He told me this last week when I called him- apparently, he's the only one in our whole family who doesn't see me as a weakling."

"Must be twinstinct."

"Twinstinct?"

"Yeah- when twins understand each other better than others. I came up with it after hanging around Fangs and his twin sister, Sam. They're complete opposites, but they know what's going on with each other better than I do- like they know what's going on in each other's minds, know what the other is feeling, and know what kind of stunt the other is about to pull. Same with their weird-wolf halves,"

Astrid chuckled. "You have quite the vocabulary, don't you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Gee, is it that noticeable?"

"Pretty much, but hey I like it." she looked around the mall. "So, anywhere specific you want to go?"

He looked around, seeing an arcade. "You play videogames much?"

She shrugged, and they walked in. They began to play a virtual-reality assassin game, in which they had to explore a maze of hallways and try to hunt each other down. After five minutes, he had lost sight of Astrid, and was cautiously lurking through the 3D hallways. _"C'mon… where'd you go?"_ he asked.

*BANG!*

" _Boom! Headshot!"_ came Astrid's voice, and suddenly the words 'Game Over' were flashing on Puggsy's screen.

"Ah, darn it," Puggsy cursed, taking off his helmet, while Astrid did the same.

"And the world's most skilled assassin is…" Astrid boasted, raising her arms then pointed to herself. "Myself."

"Ah can it. You cheated."

"Pfft, how can you cheat at arcade games? Don't be a sore loser," She walked over to a motor-cross videogame next. "C'mon, rematch. …Or are you too proud to get beat again?"

He stared at her defiantly, yet smirked. "You're on."

They played the game, driving through the virtual streets of Greece, until Puggsy cut across Astrid, making her wipe out and burst into flames, while he crossed the finish line. "Hey!"

"And the world's motor-cross champion is…" Puggsy raised his arms and pointed to himself, as Astrid had done. "Moi."

"No fair, you made me wipe-out,"

"Hey, you shot me in the head. I'd say we're even."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever." she looked over, seeing a DDR game, only more advanced with a larger dance-panel with several more arrows. "You like to dance?"

He arched an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

"C'mon, it'll be fun,"

"Eh, no thanks. I don't like looking like an idiot,"

"That's a surprise- you seem good at it,"

He gave her a glare, though she ignored it and put some quarters in the machine, the song 'Daddy DJ' playing. To Puggsy, the DDR games weren't that interesting- all you had to do was step on the arrows to match the pattern, not really 'dance'. But with there being more arrows, which formed a circle, it appeared to be required, as he watched her spin her body to match the patterns.

A few other people gathered, watching her. Halfway through the song, she turned and looked at him, motioning him to join. He shook his head, though a few people egged him on, until finally he sighed and got up, putting in his quarters and joining in the dance. He didn't move much at first, just trying to step and match the patterns.

Astrid nudged him. "Like this,"

He then tried to copy her, and managed to do well by the time the song reached the final verse, though he slipped and landed on his rear, causing a few people to laugh. "Fail!" someone teased.

"You such, fatass!" Another jerk added.

Puggsy stood up, ready to punch them… though Astrid stepped up to them first. "Like you trolls could do better," she sneered.

"Hey, we're not the ones who look like retards," The first jerk sneered.

"Yeah? Then prove it- I'll give you both $100 if you can beat my score," she pointed to the screen, showing that her score was 220,045.

"You're on!" The second jerk sneered, and they got up on the machine, trying to dance the way she and Puggsy had… but focused more on trying to beat her score than get into the beat, only getting as high as 40,356 before the game ended due to them missing too many times. The crowd laughed.

"Who sucks, now?" Puggsy taunted.

"You can suck on my fist, asshole!" The first jerk snarled, and he and his friend stood up and ran at them.

Astrid stepped to the side a bit and caught the first jerk by the wrist, flipping him over her shoulder; Puggsy caught the other by the arm and swung him into a PacMan machine, and everyone in the arcade stopped and looked over to see what was going on.

"We'd… better go," Astrid said quickly, grabbing Puggsy by the arm, and they ran out of the arcade.

"And your parents _still_ think you can't handle yourself?" Puggsy questioned, chuckling a bit.

She shrugged. "Like I said, I just needed to get out on my own," With that, they walked out of the mall.

“Hold on, hold on… If you can karate-flip guys like that, why didn’t you deal with that stalker on your own last night?”

“Dude. He had a gun. I’m not exactly experienced at getting shot and surviving like you are!”

Puggsy scoffed. “It’s not like it happens all the time! And I hope it never does again,”

Astrid only nodded, before changing the subject. “C’mon, let’s head back to the hotel. Your friends are probably wondering where you wandered off to,”

The raven-haired teen let out a sigh, but nodded, and they caught a taxi back to the hotel.


	5. An Uninvited Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puggsy introduces everyone to his new companion (who, for some reason, feels awkward around Kassy at first glance). After an interesting dinner they decide to take a walk through the park... only to come across a familiar face.

"…okay, Stutz. Thanks." Biff said on the phone, before he hung up. "Well, Stutz hasn't seen him either,"

"It's been three hours… where could he have gone?" Kim asked, concerned. "He's never went off to brood this long before,"

"I don't know… there was that time he didn't talk to us for a whole week, remember?" Fangs reminded her, just as worried.

"Hon, that was because he had _laryngitis,_ remember?" Kasandra replied.

Fangs paused. "Oh yeah…"

"C'mon, lets go look for him," Biff advised. "I just hope he hasn't gotten into any trouble,"

"With Puggsy, I wouldn't get my hopes up," Kasandra commented.

They went down to the lobby… pausing when they saw Puggsy walking in right then, with a girl at his side. "There he is! But… who's that with him?" Fangs asked, surprised.

Kasandra studied the girl. "I don't know… but I feel like I've seen her somewhere, before."

"C'mon, lets go find out," Kim stated, and they walked over. "Puggsy! Where have you been?"

"Oh, hey guys. I was just hanging out with Astrid, here." Puggsy told them, introducing the blonde. "Astrid, these are my friends- Biff, Kim, Fangs, and Kassy."

Astrid nodded, though her eyes widened when she saw Kasandra. "Um… Hi," she bluntly said, trying not to sound too awkward.

"You've been hanging out… with a _girl?_ " Fangs asked, then whispered to Kasandra. "I don't believe it--- this is the first sign of the Apocalypse, right?"

"Is this the girl you saved last night?" Kasandra asked, after giving Fangs a warning glance.

"Yeah, he just knocked out this creep who's been stalking me," Astrid answered with a shrug, brushing her bangs aside in nervousness. "I met up with him outside a couple hours ago, and we've just been hanging out around the mall."

"That's a relief. We were getting worried when you didn't come back after breakfast," Biff told Puggsy. "We're just glad you're okay,"

"We're going to go out for dinner later, would you like to join us?" Kim asked Astrid.

"Um, sure. I gotta head back up to my room. I'll meet up with you guys around 5," she replied.

"Okay, see you then." Puggsy said, watching as she walked off towards the elevators. He then noticed the others were giving him a look. "What?"

"So, you've been hanging out with a new friend all day, I see." Fangs said, smirking a bit while bouncing his eyebrows.

"Oh, get real! We're still on the acquaintance level, we just met!"

"Considering you've been with her most of the day, I'd think otherwise,"

"…if you think at all."

"Alright, don't start you two." Kasandra warned, stepping between them. "Fangs, don't tease Puggsy- he's right, he and Astrid did just meet. She might already have a boyfriend," she rubbed her chin. "But I can't shake the feeling that I know her from somewhere…"

Puggsy cocked his head. "How so?"

"I don't know. She just reminds me of someone I knew as a kid… I remember hanging out with a blonde girl, before."

“You think she might be the same person?" Kim guessed.

"I thought so… but I don't remember knowing anyone named Astrid," she shook her head. "Probably just a coincidence."

"We'll find out tonight at dinner. Getting to know her better might jog your memory," Biff suggested. He then turned to Puggsy; seeing his friend was in a better mood, the leader was having second thoughts about staging an intervention, as he didn’t want to make the short teen aggravated all over again.

He looked at the others, having a clue that they decided it could wait until later as well. After all, it was hard to bring it up after Puggsy made a new friend. “Anyone want to do lunch?” Kim suggested.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

For the rest of the day, Fangs had been trying to ask Puggsy what all he and Astrid did, though after a couple 'None of your business's, he decided to avoid another fight and leave the matter alone. Puggsy appreciated this, finding it annoying that his best friend now thought he was dating a girl- especially one he had barely known for 24 hours.

When five o’clock came around, they waited down in the lobby for their guest. Astrid showed up fifteen minutes later. "Sorry I'm late, I was on the phone with my brother," she told them as they walked out, heading towards a restaurant down the street. "I like to keep him updated whenever I go places. He said he's just thirty minutes away from the city, and might drop by."

"Ooh, I almost forgot! I need to call Sam," Fangs exclaimed, taking out his cell-phone… holding it up in random spots. "Darn reception…"

"You just called her this morning," Kasandra commented.

"I know- but a lot can happen in 10 hours,"

"You must be really concerned about her, or something. Something going on?" Astrid asked.

"Well, yeah… A year ago, some maniac named Vincent Fondane attacked my family." Kasandra told her. "The gang here stepped in and helped throw him in prison, but he managed to escape and is after us. We've been calling our families every day to make sure they're alright,"

Astrid cringed. "Yikes. Why is he after you?"

"He hunts werewolves. We tried to tell him our friends weren't dangerous, but he wouldn't listen- he must hunt them for sport (asshole)." Puggsy scoffed, muttering the last word under his breath.

"We haven't heard anything about him for months, but we're still on guard," Biff added. "We don't know what kind of tricks he has up his sleeves."

"But, we don't want you to worry about it," Kim assured Astrid. "We're doing fine."

"Yeah, yeah, lets go eat." Fangs said eagerly, and they walked inside.

Turns out they could have chosen a better restaurant, for inside the walls were decorated with a star-like pattern, moon-shaped lights hanging from the ceilings to match… and before Puggsy knew it, Fangface was holding him by the ankles, shaking him. "I gotcha now, Pugs! (grr)" the werewolf exclaimed.

"Fangsy…" Hunter began to say, persuasively.

"Uh, excuse me, but I thought he was your best friend," Astrid stepped up instead. "Last time I checked, friends didn't shake their pals by the ankles… no matter how hilarious it is."

"Ooh, ooh, I almost forgot." Fangface responded, then set Puggsy down--- on his head. "(grr) Sorry about that, Pugs. I'm trying to quit, I really am."

"Eh, forget it," Puggsy sneered as he stood up and brushed himself off, while looking over at Astrid, who gave him a wink.

They sat down at a table… where he noticed that Fangface wasn't trying _that_ hard to control is urges, as he looked at a menu, saw a picture of a steak, and shoved Puggsy in his mouth! "Let me out!" the short teen muffled.

"Fangsy, didn't I tell you to cut down on the junk food?" Hunter told him. "Let him out,"

"Aw, but I haven't eaten all day…" Fangface replied with his mouth full. Hunter began to reply, and he raised his finger. "Fangs eating doesn't count!"

"Oh c'mon, honey, just open your mouth and…"

"OW!" Fangface yelled, opening his mouth wide enough for Puggsy to leap out, and the werewolf grabbed his foot, rubbing it. "Ooh, ooh, that hurts!"

"What happened??" Kim gasped.

"She stepped on my foot!" Fangface pointed over at Astrid.

"I'm sorry! I was distracted at seeing Puggsy in your mouth, and wasn't watching where I was walking," Astrid replied, innocently. "At least he's out of your mouth now, right? I saved you from some indigestion."

"Lets just eat. Fangface, _please_ try to control yourself," Hunter sighed, sitting down with her boyfriend (who was still rubbing his foot).

"For the sake of my feet, I will. (grr)" Fangface grumbled.

Puggsy wiped himself off, then looked over at Astrid, who gave him a smirk. _Something tells me that was no accident,_ he thought, and couldn't help but smirk too.

During dinner, the gang chatted with Astrid, learning she's traveled half the country, explored most of England and had made a friend there named Edwin Miles Smith- who, she said, was currently in America on holiday-- and how her brother, Twiggy (as friends called him), graduated from an elite university and spent most of his time traveling as well. She didn't say anything about leaving home or how protective her parents had been of her, and Puggsy figured she didn't want to bring up such a personal matter again.

Afterwards, they left the restaurant, Astrid picking up the tab- claiming it was no trouble- and they decided to take a walk through the park, as the sun began to set. "Well, this was a pretty good day," Kim said as she sat with Biff on a bench, watching as Hunter, Fangface, Puggsy, and Brielle stood by the pond, skipping rocks- Fangface throwing his clear across to the other side, to which Puggsy only rolled his eyes, calling the werewolf a show-off.

"Yeah, and it's really nice that Puggsy's behaving himself, too- it's like he's watching himself around Astrid…" Biff noted.

They watched as, for some reason, Puggsy swatted Fangface with his hat, and the werewolf pushed him into the pond… and Astrid tripped him from behind and made him fall in next. "Or… like she's watching out for him," Kim guessed. "You think she likes him?"

They watched as Hunter chewed out Astrid, who apologized and helped Fangface out of the pond… only to get pulled in. Puggsy retaliated by splashing Hunter and getting her soaked next, and soon the werewolves were chasing the teens around.

"Well, you'd have to admit, they do make a good match," Biff joked, and then stood up. "C'mon, we'd better go after them before they cause any trouble,"

The werewolves chased Puggsy and Astrid across the park until the teens ran out of breath, allowing Fangface to shake Puggsy around, while Hunter had Astrid pinned. "Alright, alright, we're sorry!" Astrid laughed… which Puggsy didn't understand, as he always found the werewolves' harassment annoying. "We were just funning around, no need to get touchy."

" _We're_ touchy? You're the one who pushed Fangface in the pond," Hunter scoffed.

"He threw Puggsy in, first!"

"That's because he called Fangface a nitwolf, just because he beat him at skipping rocks,"

"Hey, the 'nitwolf' was bragging… don't act like you wouldn't do the same thing. Now, can I get up now?"

Hunter stood up. "Just watch yourself, girl. It's not wise to pick on werewolves,"

Astrid scoffed. "Oh, what are you going to do, eat me?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," came a chilling voice.

Everyone looked over into the shadows, where a man who appeared to be in his 40's, wearing a wide-rimmed black fedora, with a matching black outfit and cloak, equipped with three knives (one in a holster in his boot), two guns, a rifle strapped to his back, stepped out of the shadows. Fangface growled and Puggsy immediately stepped in front of the werewolves.

Vincent gave a wicked smirk as he stepped forth, pulling out a gun. "Werewolves are, after all, natural-born killers."


	6. Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent pursues the werewolves and their friends to a warehouse... where Puggsy discovers a horrible secret. Unfortunately, blood is spilled before help arrives.

"YOU!" Hunter snarled, her fur bristling. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to finish what we started," Vincent replied, aiming his gun at each of them. "Now… who wants to die first?" he looked at Puggsy. "If I don't recall, I promised to kill you off first, runt."

Puggsy clenched his fists. "Yeah… and I disremember promising I'd kill you slowly and painfully if you showed your face again!" he retorted sharply.

"Let’s see which one of us is a man of word, then…" With that, Vincent pointed his gun at Puggsy.

*THWACK!*

A rock hit Vincent in the side of the head just then. "Back off, you bastard!" Biff shouted, as he and Kim threw two more rocks at his face.

"Run, guys!" Kim called, and the gang shot off down the street, Vincent in pursuit.

"Split up- Kim and I will go to the police; Fangface, Hunter, you hide somewhere with Pugs and Astrid." The leader advised.

"Be careful!" Kim told them, and she and Biff turned one way, while the werewolves, Astrid, and Puggsy went the other way.

Vincent paused, then decided to cut through an alley to catch up with the werewolves.

Biff and Kim ran towards the police station, which was fortunately just up the block… not noticing they passed Luca and Stutz along the way. "Hey, Biff! Kim! What's the rush?" Luca called, as the 13-year-old raced after them.

"No time to talk! Vincent Fondane is after the werewolves!" Biff called quickly.

"He's h-h-here?!" Stutz stammered.

"Where are the others?!" Luca sputtered in shock.

"They ran the other way to go hide," Kim answered, as they reached the police station and she ran in with Biff.

Luca turned to Stutz. "You stay here with Biff and Kim, I'll go help the others,"

"A-Are y-y-you NUTS?!" Stutz cried.

"Don't worry, I know this town like the back of my hand, I can help them hide!" With that, he ran down the street to find the rest of their friends.

Stutz sighed, worriedly. "G-Good g-grief, w-w-why couldn't he b-be like n-normal b-boys and just s-sneak into R-rated m-movies?" With that, he ran inside to help inform the cops before the younger teen got himself killed.

0o0o0o0o0

Fangface, Hunter, Puggsy, and Astrid ran to an old warehouse, ducking behind a few crates. "Listen, I got a plan," Astrid whispered. "Werewolves, you climb up to the rafters up there, keep an eye out for Vincent. Pugs and I will try to lead him over to that conveyor belt, where we'll snag that hook onto his shirt and haul him up."

"Right, and we'll swing down on those other hooks to knock over crates, just to distract him- maybe even crush him a little," Hunter agreed.

"Lets go," Puggsy confirmed, and he and Astrid snuck off around the crates, while Fangface and Hunter went towards the stairway, climbing up to the catwalks until they were high enough to scale up to the rafters.

That's when Hunter noticed a problem. At their angle, it was hard to see over all the crates, since they were stacked so close that they could only see over the first three rows below them. "Great, we'll have to move around the rafters to keep an eye on them," Hunter muttered. "And if we do that, we'll make too much noise and attract his attention!"

"Ooh, ooh, then I hope Astrid and Pugs can lure him towards that conveyor belt," Fangface whispered, looking down at the conveyor belt.

Little did they know the two weren't heading towards the conveyor belt.

Instead, Astrid led Puggsy towards the exit. "You think we lost him?" he asked.

*Thump!* They heard a sound from around the corner, and the blonde shoved the raven-haired teen down behind a crate. "Nope. Stay down, and no matter what, don't follow me." she firmly whispered, then ran towards the exit.

"Astrid? What…"

"QUICK, OUT THIS WAY!" Astrid feigned, then went out the exit.

Puggsy began to stand up, until he noticed Vincent running towards the exit. "Damn brat," the hunter groused to himself, then ripped the door open and ran outside.

Acting fast, Puggsy caught the door, following the hunter out, ducking behind a dumpster. He saw a lead pipe on the ground and picked it up; he watched as Astrid and Vincent stood face-to-face, the girl looking pissed. _Why isn't she running… and why hasn't he tried taking her hostage yet?_ he wondered.

"How stupid are you?! After all I've done for you, you turn against me to help those beasts?!" Vincent griped. "All I asked was for you to lead those teens to me tonight- instead, I ended up having to come look for you! We had a deal, remember?!"

"The deal is off, this is going too far!" Astrid snapped. "They're all nice kids, and the werewolves aren't evil like you think!"

"You've only met them today! Don't let them manipulate you!"

"The only one I let manipulate me is you! I thought you just needed my help taking out someone dangerous, saying I was finally ready to put my training to the test… but it only turns out you just needed a pawn to help murder those kids!"

"Ugh, I should have had Keith be the lure… but no, you said he should play the stalker! I should've known you weren't capable of this…"

"Capable of what?! Taking innocent lives?! You said you would train me to look after myself, and said you needed help from your ‘best student’! But now I find out that the mentor I came to trust is trying to kill---!”

*SLAP!*

Vincent struck her. "Enough of your sentimental shit! You're weaker than I thought…"

*Swish!* Astrid struck him with a knife she had hidden in her jacket, slicing his shoulder. "I'm not weak… I just realized who the real enemy is!" she snarled. "Just go away, and leave them alone!"

Vincent grabbed her by the arm, holding a gun up to her throat. "If I have to go, you're coming with me!"

She only glared at him. “Go ahead… pull the trigger!”

He scowled, cocking the gun---

*Clang!*

Puggsy struck him in the back of the head, knocking him out. As the hunter dropped to the ground, he glared at Astrid, then tapped the pipe in his hand. "Alright, get explaining, otherwise you're next." He demanded.

"Everything I told you already _is_ true… but I didn't tell you everything. My real name is Brielle Shereba. I've only been going by 'Astrid' just to keep from being tracked down by my parents." Astrid, now to be referred to as 'Brielle', told him in a heavy sigh. "I took lessons from Vincent, and in return he asked for my help to take out some dangerous people… I didn't think he was a psycho until after I met you guys! He had me and Keith- the 'stalker' you knocked out- set up a trap to try to gain your guys' trust. I called up Keith and told him to go home, that the mission was over. I guess he contacted Vincent, and that's how he found out." She sighed bitterly. "So go ahead and knock me out too… you might as well."

Puggsy lowered the pipe, grabbing her by the arm. "First, we're going to get Hunter and Fangface, you're going to tell them everything, and you're going to help us put Vincent in jail. …Then, I'm going to call your parents."

Brielle sneered. "Can't you just send me to jail, instead?"

"No. Now c'mon,"

*Bang!*

"Agh!" Puggsy gasped, feeling a pain in his chest… then looked, seeing blood seeping through his shirt.

"PUGGSY!" Brielle screamed, then looked up, seeing Keith was standing nearby. "You bastard! What are you doing?!"

"My job," Keith sneered, then aimed the gun at her. "Not really wise of you to turn on our master, Shereba. Don't worry about your parents, though… they probably think you're already-"

*Thwack!* A rock hit Keith in the face. "Back off, dirtbag!" Luca snarled from down the alley, running and grabbing the lead pipe Puggsy had held, and used it to hit Keith.

Keith growled, then grabbed Luca by the throat, keeping his gun aimed at Brielle. "I'll handle you after I kill this bitch, you little-"

"Let him go!" came a voice, and they looked over to see that Vincent had come to. Keith looked at him, keeping a tight grip on Luca’s throat. "Let that boy go!"

"But… master! He-"

Vincent aimed his gun at Keith. "I said let him go!" he heard police sirens coming their way. "We have to move out! Now!"

Keith sneered, but shoved Luca aside, keeping his gun aimed at Brielle as he ran. Brielle, in the meantime, ran towards Puggsy, who was on his hands and knees, dropping to the ground with a groan. "Pugs-" she gasped.

Quick as a flash, Vincent lunged and sliced her throat. "That's for your betrayal," he snapped, then took off with Keith, who laughed as they ran.

"Help!" Luca began to scream into the streets, while Brielle held her throat. "Someone call for an ambulance!”

Fangface and Hunter burst out of the warehouse. "We heard a gunshot out here!" Hunter cried. "Luca what's-"

"PUGS!" Fangface yelled in alarm, running to his friend, turning him on his back, seeing the blood stained on his shirt. "No… Puggsy…"

Hunter in the meantime knelt by Brielle, ripping off a chunk of her shirt to press against the blonde’s wound. "Don't worry, it's not that deep," the she-wolf told her. "You'll be okay…"

"It was my fault…" Brielle choked out, staring at Puggsy.

The police cars arrived, along with an ambulance. "It's a good thing Luca told us where they went,” Kim stated as she, Biff, and Stutz climbed out of a squad car. "Now Vincent is in for it!"

Biff gasped as they entered the alley. "We're too late…" he whispered, frozen as he pointed over. Kim let out a horrified cry and Stutz gagged at the sight of blood, trying not to faint.

"No! He's not… he can't be!"

"He isn't," Luca sighed in mild relief, seeing that Puggsy was, by all odds, still breathing.

"Pugs… don't go… I don't want to go through this again!" Fangface sobbed.

"…fangface…" came a quiet voice, and the werewolf looked down, seeing it came from Puggsy, as his friend grasped his paw. "Sorry… for being a jerk… I just didn't want to be… alone."

"Be alone? What are you talking about?" He waited for him to answer, but his friend had already shut his eyes, his grip becoming limp. "No… Puggsy! Please!"

Brielle watched as the teen was then surrounded by paramedics, as she herself was tended to… but her vision grew dark, as she focused on the scene, watching the tragedy she caused unfold before everything went black.


	7. Confessions of a Runaway

**_A Week Later…_ **

A video-camera is turned on, showing the image of a pair of feet walking slowly across a white tiled floor, the view slowly lifting upwards, showing a heart-rate, the slow _*beep… beep… beep…*_ being the only sound in the room. The view turned to a chair as the camera was sat on the edge of a bed, a figure sitting down, head hanging low.

"I didn't want this." they said quietly, being the voice of a girl, trying to sound strong. "I lived a luxurious life, with parents who cared… only problem was, I thought they cared _too_ much. They wanted me to be safe, wanting to do everything for me- but I wanted to achieve it all on my own, because I wanted to prove to them I was capable of taking care of myself.

“So I ran away, keeping in contact with only my brother, who always had to do things on his own because my parents were too busy tending to me… I think that's why he ran away, too. He moved out when he was 16, graduated college a couple years later, and is currently living a good life traveling… something I always admired him for.

“I lied to him, saying our parents finally decided to let me go. Our parents never kept in contact with him after he left… It wasn’t fair, so I didn't keep in contact with them after I left. I wanted to stay with him… but I didn't think he would want his sister intruding on his life and spoil everything, so I just told him I'd keep in contact. Afterwards, I went to find a teacher to help me learn self-defense, so I could learn how to take care of myself. That's when I met Vincent Fondane…"

She sighed. "I trained with him for a year or so, learning moves that other self-defense classes never taught- it wasn't just step-by-step, he showed us a move, and taught us how to do it, making sure we got it perfect. A few students moved away, some quit, and only Keith and I stayed, until he moved away next with his father, keeping in contact with Vincent. I kept in contact too, once Vincent told me my training was complete… and how he would someday call on me to assist him on a job.

“I didn't think he was that serious, until he called me a couple months ago, saying he was going after some dangerous people and needed his best students to assist him, that no one else was willing to help. …I took the job, thinking it would be cool, like a secret-spy mission or something, and that maybe- if my parents saw on the news that I took out some dangerous criminals- they wouldn't look down on me anymore."

She began to wince, biting her bottom lip. "Turns out I was wrong…" she sniffled, taking a breath before continuing. "I was so wrapped up in… in getting the chance to prove myself, to be out on my own, to be living in independence, that I didn't see what kind of man Vincent truly was. I suppose it would have helped if I paid attention to the news… but I only focused on the news about myself, about my parents looking for me, and trying to make sure no one found me. So, I went with Vincent and Keith to find his targets… but, once I met your friend, heard his stories of your travels, how you guys always had each other's backs… and meeting you all, I just… I realized I was fooled… unfortunately, I couldn't get rid of him… and now… thanks to me… this happened."

She turned the camera onto a teen, hooked up to tubes, his entire chest bandaged, his breathing slow.

"The doctors said he had to be pretty strong to survive a bullet shot… but it went straight to his heart, and they don't think he'll recover. He was in surgery for three days straight…" she turned the camera on herself, showing the bandages on her neck. "I was only in surgery for twelve hours… I should have been the one to get shot, and struggling for my life… I deserve it. He doesn't. …H-He's like this because of me…!"

She began to sob. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt… I just wanted to live my life...!"

She began to cry into her hands. A few minutes passed before she continued.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused… and swear, I'm going to make it up to you. I'll find Vincent and God willing I will make him pay for this… even if it costs my own life. If you guys are still watching this… contact Kiff and Tanya Shereba- my parents- and tell them that I'm going to make things right and… if something happens… tell them that their daughter, Brielle, loves them very much."

Off-screen, a door opened. "Brielle… are you ready?" a voice was heard.

"Yes…" she squeezed Puggsy's hand, then stood up, looking into the camera, letting out a heavy sigh, tears running down her face. "I’m sorry, Puggsy..."

She turned off the camera.


	8. In the Waiting Room...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang waits with Puggsy's family for news about their friend's condition.

**_14 Hours Later…_ **

Biff lost count on how many times the gang had visited the hospital, asking when they could see Puggsy, though each time a nurse or doctor would inform them he was still in the ICU, and wasn't allowed to wake up yet. During the week, they had contacted his family, and before they knew it his parents, Barbara and Richard, his brother, Chance, and his cousin, Toni, came rushing to San Francisco, worried sick at the condition he was in. When his mother wasn't threatening to kill Vincent herself, she was bawling her eyes out, worried she would lose her oldest son.

Toni, despite her tough-attitude, couldn't hold back her tears either. It wasn't the first time Puggsy had been shot, but he was lucky the first time… this time, there was a slim chance he would make it again, and when she couldn't stay in the hospital too long she would step outside, crying on Luca's shoulder. Chance, meanwhile, would only pace, wondering why it had to happen to his older brother- while ignoring a few sexy nurses who stood by him, their hearts going wild at seeing a hot guy on the verge of tears (until Kim snapped at them for being so insensitive and told them to beat it).

If anyone could match the despair the family was feeling, it was Fangface…

The werewolf had refused to leave the waiting room, even staying over-night, unable to sleep. Hunter stayed at his side, trying to comfort him as best she could, her heart aching at knowing one of her friends was fighting to stay alive, and her lover was in a deep depression over it. It was no wonder- he had been closest to Puggsy the moment he fell limp, still hearing his last words…

" _I just didn't want to be alone."_

He didn't understand it at first, until he thought about all that had happened that day: Fangs and Kasandra being close, Puggsy being aggravated and harassing them about it, Kim telling them about her argument with him the other night… It didn't take long for him to figure out that his friend wasn't feeling left out, but because he was worried that the gang would probably split up- him and Hunter going off to live their own lives together, Biff and Kim possibly doing the same, as well as Sam and Martin…

Puggsy was never one for romance, but the idea of drifting apart from the friends he had explored the world with, faced peril with, and who he had stood by through thick and thin probably terrified him. Maybe that’s why he had an outburst whenever Fangface and Hunter got so affectionate--- he felt like he was going to be left behind.

He thought back to when they first met Puggsy- back when he was part of Snake's gang, keeping everyone shut out, not even socializing around the gang members except when they held their underground boxing matches, until he met Fangface and their lives changed forever. Maybe he was afraid that he would become that person again- but the werewolf knew that was ridiculous, knowing Puggsy was stronger than that.

Though now, the werewolf wondered just how strong his friend could be. He had dealt with all sorts of injuries- from being run over by boulders to getting roughed up by monsters… but a bullet to the heart? That was different, and thinking about it reminded him of the first time he was shot- how he stepped in front of Fangface in order to shield him from it!

It was no wonder he couldn't stop crying. _I should have been there for him! I could have protected him…_ he thought as he sobbed.

"Fangface, hon, don't cry anymore," Hunter told him, her voice choked up.

"I-I can’t help it, Hunter… but… I just don't want Puggsy to… to…" Fangface whimpered, burying his face in his paws, and all the she-wolf could do was hold him tight.

…

Biff looked at all his friends. Kim was sitting by Barbara, trying to comfort her while Chance kept a hand on Richard's shoulders; Toni had fallen asleep on Luca's lap, Stutz patting him on the shoulder; Fangface sobbing uncontrollably while Hunter held him… and all he could do was stand there and quietly let tears roll down his face.

Being the leader of the gang, he always had to come up with ways to make sure everyone in the gang stayed safe, coming up with plans to guide them to safety… but last night, he realized his flaw- he shouldn't have had everyone split up. If they had stayed together, they could have stopped Vincent... but the villain had gotten away, and their friend was on the edge of death.

"Excuse me, are you friends with the boy named Puggsy, in Room 303?" a nurse asked him.

Biff turned, facing her. "Yes... why? Has something happened?" he asked, anxious.

"Nothing has changed. He's still breathing, his heart-rate is still at a slow pace, and he isn't allowed to wake up yet," she held up a camera. "But… we found this in his room. There was a note taped to it, asking to give it to one of you."

Biff looked at the note, seeing that it did indeed ask for the camera to be handed over to either him, Kim, Fangs/Fangface, or Hunter/Kasandra, with a message reading: "my confession".

"Thank you," he told the nurse, taking the camera and sitting down.

"I'm going to go find something for us all to eat," Richard sighed. "It'll be good to get out of here for a few minutes, and there's no point in starving ourselves while we wait for updates."

"You should go too, Mrs. Murphy." Kim coaxed. "It might help calm your nerves,"

"My nerves won't be calm until I find out what's going to happen to my baby," Barbara said, harshly… but caught her tone. "I'm sorry, Kimberly… I'll be back in fifteen minutes," And she walked out with her husband.

Biff arched an eyebrow, watching the video on the camera. "Guys, look at this…" he whispered.

"What is it?" Hunter asked.

"It's Astrid… listen."

They crowded around the small screen, watching the video-message that had been left behind for them.


	9. The Mysterious Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brielle has made plans, having a word with the last person she can trust. Meanwhile, Puggsy is introduced to (yet another) strange character-- who operated on his heart!

Brielle, meanwhile, was driving down the road with her brother, Matthew 'Twiggy' Thorn… at least, that was the name he went by.

Matthew, she learned, had joined an elite group of special agents- known as the Thorns, having a goal to hunt down a group called the Veni-Con-Yei, who hunted down innocent people in order to kill anything supernatural… most notably, werewolves. She contacted him two days ago, asking him to look up Vincent Fondane… when she learned that he was the vice-president of the group, second-hand man to their leader and founder Marlow, she knew how she could track him down. The Thorns had taken out many of their agents already, being lead by their top agent, Lucy Silver, and her son, Kite.

Right now, Matthew was driving Brielle to meet with Kite, who had agreed to assist her in her search for Vincent. "Kite said he'll meet you on the bridge in two weeks," he informed her, before letting out a heavy sigh. "…I still don't want you getting yourself involved…"

"I'm already involved, Matt… I'm sorry, but I have to do this," she told him, sternly. "It's my fault I got those kids in trouble and let Vincent get away… and I'm taking it as my responsibility to track him down."

He only nodded. He wanted to talk her out of it- but she was so stubborn and determined that it would be pointless to argue. "I'll be sticking around if you need help. You may have made it your business, sis, but it's still part of my job to make sure these psychos are stopped- especially since you've already been injured."

She nodded. "…thanks for not telling mom or dad."

"They wouldn't know who was telling them, anyway."

"Why did they never try to contact you?"

He sighed. "I'll tell you someday… here's your stop. Remember: Call me if you need backup."

"Will do." Before she got out, she looked at him. “How come you can’t help me? Wouldn’t that make sense since you’re my brother?”

“That’s precisely the reason why they’re sending an agent. Family… kind of complicates things,”

Brielle let out a sigh, climbing out. She understood too well.

“But remember,” he added before he drove off. “If you’re ever in trouble, Nightclaw will come to your aid.”

She smiled. “Good to know,”

With that they parted ways.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_All he could see was white, feeling his body in suspended animation, all that went through his mind were voices from the past…_

_The only face he could see was hers, as her hand reached out for him…_

_*beep, beep, beep, beep,*_

Puggsy awoke slowly, opening his eyes, seeing a doctor and a nurse at the end of the bed, looking over his charts. "It's quite amazing… we'll have to keep an eye on him," the doctor was saying.

"He's awake, doctor… should I give him another drug?" the nurse asked.

"No, no, let him wake up this time. Go inform his friends,"

Puggsy blinked, trying to clear his vision, wanting to talk but couldn't find the strength. _What happened? Where is everyone…? What happened to Brielle and Fondane?_ he wondered, trying to remember everything that had happened that night.

The doctor sat down next to him, and he noticed there was something odd about him- his skin was too pale, he seemed to be somewhere between the ages of 18 and 21, and his piercing-blue eyes seemed to have a sly gaze to them. He read the nametag: 'Doctor Edwin M. Smith'.

"You gave everyone quite a scare, little boy. You had quite a brush with death," the mysterious doctor said to him.

_I knew that already… and who are you calling 'little boy'?_ _Puggsy wished he could say, but found it hard to speak at the moment._

"It's quite amazing. A bullet to the heart… yet you still manage to survive. Either you've got a strong heart, or you're a stubborn one. Though, I suppose all the surgery helped as well- managed to get that bullet out, and as soon as we did, your heart practically healed by itself while they were trying to patch it up. Still, at the length of your recovery, no one thought you would survive… That's the trouble with doctors these days, they only rely on science and medications, and don't use enough faith. Lucky one of your friends contacted me to come here quick- I was already on my way to New York to meet with an associate of mine. Good timing, eh?"

_The short teen only arched an eyebrow. Who is this guy…?_

"I happen to be an expert when it comes to hearts as well, so consider yourself lucky. Yes, I think you're going to be fine… though you won't be allowed to leave, just so we can make sure your heart isn't suffering any more wounds, but from the way I've analyzed it you should be okay." he stood up, walking out. "I'll be on my way now. I've got another appointment to keep."

Puggsy blinked… and the doctor was gone. _Edwin M. Smith… where have I heard that name?_ he wondered.


	10. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is appalled when they learn about Brielle's involvement with Vincent, but their moods change when they find out that Puggsy is recovering well. The short teen and werewolf have a bit of closure, making amends. 
> 
> ...Fluff warning near the end. So sweet it'll give you diabetes--- the instantly fatal kind!

" _I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused… and swear, I'm going to make it up to you. I'll find Vincent and God willing I will make him pay for this… even if it costs my own life. If you guys are still watching this… contact Kiff and Tanya Shereba- my parents- and tell them that I'm going to make things right and… if something happens… tell them that their daughter, Brielle, loves them very much."_

"I… I don't believe it," Kim whispered, stunned. "Why didn't she tell us before?"

"Because of Vincent, _doy_." Toni sneered. "The bitch didn't want you guys to know that she was a runaway and working with a psycho when she figured it out, and now she's taken off while we've been worried about Puggsy! I say good riddance. Frickin’, double-crossing, cu---"

"Take it easy, Toni…" Luca coaxed.

"She let my cousin get shot! I am NOT going to calm down! If Puggsy goes down, then she oughtta go down with him! I don't see one reason why we should let her live if we see her again!"

"She's my cousin." Hunter replied, in quiet shock.

"She being your cousin has nothing to do with-"

Biff clapped his hand over her mouth. "Wait, what did you say?" he asked Hunter.

"That couple she mentioned, Kiff and Tanya Shereba… they're my aunt and uncle," Hunter told them. "They used to live close to my parents when I was seven, and Martin and I would always hang out with Brielle and Matthew… until, one day, they moved. We never found out a reason, just knew that our parents were angry and never contacted them."

"Then I think it's time WE did," Kim firmly stated, hands on hips

"We'll go look them up," Chance offered.

"To the internet!" Luca declared, and he, Toni, Stutz, and Chance walked off.

"Call us if anything changes," Toni told them, as they went to retrieve a laptop from Stutz' apartment.

"So… outside of Toni's remark… why do you think she kept secrets from us?" Kim asked once more.

"Well, to be fair, she had only met us in one day. She probably would have told us, possibly to warn us, if she was given more time," Biff guessed. "I mean, you have to admit, the first time she saw us in the lobby, she did seem a little tense…"

"I noticed that… right when she looked at me- er, Kasandra." Hunter added. "She probably recognized me… maybe that's the real reason why she didn't say anything, just so I wouldn't get worked up about it and call her parents," she clenched her fists. "Which I'll be doing right now…" she then took out her cell-phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling my parents, and I'm telling them everything. I don't know what my aunt and uncle did to make them angry, but after hearing that their own niece was a cohort for Vincent, they'd better put aside their differences and help us figure out what's going on!"

"But, they moved away and your parents lost contact with them, remember?" Kim pointed out. "What if they don't know-"

"We're going to find out!"

Kim stepped back, a bit shocked at Hunter snapping like that, yet the she-wolf had a point. Their friend was in the hospital. Vincent was still out there. And the only girl who was a link to all this had disappeared. She couldn't blame Hunter for being so tense and bitter…

In fact, she was surprised she wasn't trying to get a trace on Brielle now, to hunt her down and make her regret her mistake- Lord knows what she'd put Vincent through, and the teenage girl didn't think she could stomach such a graphic thought.

She looked over at Fangface, who had been quiet this whole time. "Fangface… do you have anything to say?" the co-leader asked, quietly.

The werewolf only hung his head low. "I don't care about that girl… I just want Pugs to be okay," he whispered back.

Biff bit his lip, preparing to say something- anything- to assure everything would be okay… though, luckily, he didn't have to when a nurse came in. "You can see your friend now," she told him. "Doctor Smith said he'll be alright now,"

The leader smiled, wincing as he did, and turned to the others. "Guys, did you hear that? Puggsy's alright! Lets go see him!" he exclaimed.

* _SHOOM!*_

In a blur, Fangface shot by, leaving clouds of dust in his wake. "PUGGSY!" he exclaimed as he ran.

"And there he goes," Hunter said, smiling a bit, putting away her cell phone and deciding to contact her parents later.

"Fangface, wait up!" Kim called, as she, Hunter and Biff raced after him, just to make sure he didn't crash into anyone… let alone found the right room.

Another doctor approached the nurse. "Hey, Stephanie, did you check on that patient in room 303 yet?" she asked.

"Yes, I was in there with Doctor Smith, he's doing fine now." she replied.

The doctor arched an eyebrow. "Doctor who?"

"Doctor Edwin M. Smith- he said he had been called in a few nights ago to help with the surgery."

The doctor walked over to the information desk, and looked over a few papers. "Stephanie… no one by the name of Doctor Edwin M. Smith checked in- actually, no one even heard anything about him in the surgery room!"

The nurse blinked, a bit stunned.

The doctor picked up the phone. "Go check on that patient again," she then dialed. "Security…"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Puggsy lied in bed, staring at the television… which was off. _They didn't even have the decency to hand me the remote, did they?_ He thought. He didn't really want to watch television- he just needed something to help get his mind off things. Where were his friends? Were they alright? Did Vincent get away? How long had he been unconscious? Why did that doctor's name sound familiar? And what happened to Brielle?

In a way, he couldn't believe why she never said a word, yet also understood everything. She was hanging around him, acting nice and getting acquainted all to lure him and the gang into a trap… yet she also tried to get rid of Vincent herself, trying to get him and the werewolves to stay hidden while she lured him away. _But why didn't she just warn us, instead?_ he wondered, bitterly. _Then we could have set a trap for him instead, or at least been prepared when he showed his ugly mug._

Just thinking about that girl gave him the urge to punch something. She seemed nice- even took his side when it came to the werewolves and their romance, tried to help him ease down after their argument, and despite they had only met each other, treated him like a friend she had known since childhood and trusted him with so much information… yet now, it turns out it was all just part of the plan to earn his trust. _Face it, Pugs, you let yourself get played by another girl._ he told himself, sighing. _But… then again… if she was really on Vincent's side, why did he bring up her betraying him?_

His head began to ache, unable to figure out when Brielle was lying or not, if the day he shared with her was really an act or not, and why- if she realized who was the _real_ villain- she didn't warn them of anything. He didn't know why he didn't notice it sooner, the way she cringed when Vincent's name was brought up, or how tense she acted around the gang, or how she was acting too friendly for someone on an acquaintance level. Every time he thought about these signs, he kicked himself for missing them.

Talk about the prime PSA about hanging out with strangers…

His mind was cleared of all his puzzling thoughts when Fangface burst into the room. "PUGGSY! You're alive!" the werewolf exclaimed, screeching to a halt, sliding across the floor-

*Wham!*

…ending up crashing into the wall, and Puggsy rolled his eyes, yet was happy to see that his best friend was [also] still alive. The werewolf backed up, shaking off his daze and stumbling over to his friend- he would have hugged him on sight if it wasn't for all the tubes he was hooked up to- and sat down next to him. "Hey, Pugs… how you doing?" he asked.

 _For a guy who had just been shot, not that bad…_ Puggsy wanted to reply critically, but was still trying to find strength to speak. Instead, he just wavered his hand a bit as a way of saying 'could be worse'.

Biff, Kim, and Hunter entered just then. "Oh, thank God," Kim squeaked, practically in tears at seeing the condition their friend was in, yet so happy to see that he was alright, as she rushed over and took hold of his hand. "We're so glad you're okay…"

He smiled, gripping her hand as gently as he could, though wished she wouldn't cry- after their argument nights ago, that's the last thing he wanted to see her do, especially since after Brielle showed up, he never got the chance to apologize to her- to everyone, until after he was shot, and saw the whole day flash before his eyes.

In fact, that was the last thing he could recall: him apologizing to Fangface… as well as admitting how he didn't want to be alone while everyone moved on with their lives and lovers. Thinking about it now, he felt like an idiot--- just because his friends were in love, didn’t mean they were going to say goodbye forever. Them being here now was proof of that!

He looked over at Hunter, who stood by Fangface, wondering if the werewolf told the gang everything (which he had no doubt he had) and if they all understood what he meant by his words.

He was expecting any moment for Hunter to bring it up, possibly explaining that she never intended to 'steal his best friend' as she had brought up that morning, or maybe claiming that if she had known she and Fangface would have kept their romance to a minimum around him. Maybe she would state that she mostly just did it to annoy him, and promising that she would let him and Fangface hang out more often and give them some 'guy time'.

…Or, maybe she would go on a rant about killing Vincent for all this.

"I swear, Puggsy, next time Vincent shows his face, I'm going to kill him for all this," Hunter promised him, a bit choked up, while Fangface held her paw, patting it and giving her a look that calmly said 'save it for later'.

Puggsy grinned a bit. He figured it would be the latter.

He then looked over at Biff, still remembering the sharp glare he had given him that day, when he mentioned how upset Kim at been. Kim had said they were nothing more than friends… yet the way the leader stood by her now, resting his hand on her shoulder, he had doubts if Biff saw her as just a friend. Perhaps she didn't know, or maybe she did but didn’t bring it up so not to jeopardize the gang's friendship or hurt Biff’s feelings. From the glare he had received from the leader that day, he knew he cared a great deal about Kim, friend or more, and Puggsy had made a mistake in getting her upset, and knew that sooner or later Biff would want to have a talk with him about his outbursts towards everyone.

"Puggsy, do you remember everything that happened that night?" The leader asked, at this moment. Puggsy nodded. "Can you tell us?"

 _If I could, I'd be spilling my guts by now._ The short teen thought, and pointed to his mouth, then shook his hand in a 'no' fashion.

"Can you write?"

 _I can try, I guess._ He nodded.

They handed him a notebook and a pencil, and he realized that he only had a little strength to write so much and had to keep it in simplified terms: _'Astrid was with Vincent. Her real name is Brielle. He called her a traitor. Keith shot me.'_

"We… already know about Brielle," Kim said carefully, as Biff held up a camera.

"She recorded a message for us, before she left." Biff added.

 _She's gone?!_ Puggsy wanted to shout… though the rapid 'beep beep beep'-ing from the heart-monitor pretty much saved him the trouble.

"Calm down, Pugs, we're going to find her." Hunter assured him, and from the look in her eye, he could tell she felt rage. He didn't blame her.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Kim asked.

' _That's it.'_ he wrote, figuring that- if Brielle left a confession behind- there wasn't more to tell. His mind was too full of anger to write anything more, anyway. _So she just got up and left, not bothering to stick around the others and face the consequences, huh?_ he thought with malice. _Wait until I get my hands on that-_

_*beep beep beep beep beep*_

"Hey, I said take it easy, Puggsy… don't get too tense, or your heart-monitor will blow sky high!" Hunter told him. "Right now, I'm going to call up my folks, and tell them you're okay."

"Your family is here, too. I'll go tell your parents," Kim added.

"And I'll call Stutz," Biff added. "Fangface, you can stay here,"

"(grr) I planned to," Fangface replied with a firm nod.

Once everyone exited the room, everything in the room fell silent, the only sound being the 'beeping' of the heart monitor. Puggsy watched the werewolf, who just sat there, awkwardly holding his hands together, his eyes shifting to him every few seconds, jaw shifting as if pondering what to say- it was weird seeing him sit so quietly, and the teen wished he'd just say something to kill the silent tension.

 _Why does he look so upset? Its not like he's the one who shot me._ Puggsy thought, keeping his gaze on him.

"I kept praying for you every minute," The werewolf finally said in a soft tone. "Starting the moment Hunter and I ran out into the alley after hearing the gunshot, and we found you. I even rode in the ambulance with you, just to make sure you would be alright, and stayed at your side until they rushed you into the emergency room. I stayed in the waiting room with the others, all of us waiting to find out what happened.

“The doctors said Brielle would be okay, but weren't sure if you'd be too, and kept you in surgery for three days; after waiting all that time they told us that, due to your condition, you couldn't be allowed to wake up yet just so your heart could heal. That whole week… I was scared. I know it's something you never hear a werewolf say but… well I was. I was petrified, and Fangs was just as afraid- probably more. I haven't changed back into him all week, and he's been quiet in my head, too worried to speak."

There were dozens of comments Puggsy could make about Fangs being quiet, yet picturing him and/or the werewolf in such a distraught state rendered him incapable of thinking up a single remark. All he did was lie there, waiting for the werewolf to continue.

"I figured out what you meant the other night, too… about being alone." Fangface looked at him, his eyes filled with sadness. "Puggsy, I swear, I didn't know I was spending that much time with Hunter, or that our romance bothered you so much that you thought we'd all split up… We won't split up, Puggsy- especially now!" he began to wince. "Fangs is really sorry, too, about all he said. We were all just mad, we didn't know that we were hurting you!"

 _Who's hurt? I just can't stand a bunch of my friends running off for the sake of romance._ Puggsy wished he could reply.

"I just… I just wish you didn't have to get shot for me to figure it out," tears began to roll down the werewolf's face now, and the teen couldn't stand it. "I should have been there with you, like I always had been, then maybe… maybe I could have taken the bullet for you this time. I promise, from now on, I'll be a better friend- I'll make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again! I-I just can't stand the fact that I nearly lost you!" he broke down in a sob again, folding his arms on the edge of the bed as he buried his face in them.

The werewolf sobbed for almost a minute, until he felt the teen's hand resting on his shoulder, gripping it gently, and he looked up, seeing his friend smiling. "It's… okay…" Puggsy whispered, gathering all the strength he could to speak. "I'm… still… here."

Fangface smiled, tears still rolling down his face, as he held his friend's hand, chuckling with relief.

Seconds later, Toni burst through the doors. "YES! YOU'RE ALIVE!" she exclaimed as loudly as she could, and turned to Luca and Stutz. "See guys? I TOLD you he would pull through!"

Luca and Stutz only rolled their eyes.

Toni sat down beside Puggsy. "So, what happened? Who shot you? Did your life flash before your eyes? Did they save the bullet?"

"Okay, Toni, that's enough." Chance said in a light schold, walking up beside her.

"Oh, thank God!" Barbara cried as she and Richard ran into the room next, gripping her son's other hand. "I was so afraid we lost you…! Damn it, Puggsy, stop getting shot! You nearly scared me to death again! Oh, I'm just so glad you're okay!"

Fangface leaned back, letting the family have their moment of celebration, when he noticed the camera sitting on the table next to him, figuring Biff must have forgotten it. Remembering the heart-rate going berserk at the mention of that girls' name and remembering that his friend's heart was still healing, he took the camera and hid it in the drawer, figuring his friend could watch the video once he got his strength back.

After a couple hours, Barbara and Richard decided they were going to go back to the hotel, the father planning on contacting the police about Brielle's whereabouts after Toni told him how the girl took off; Chance and Stutz persuaded Luca and Toni to come along too, telling them they could ask Puggsy if he caught a glimpse of heaven later. Hunter had finished calling her parents and telling them everything, and was sitting in the room with Fangface, while Biff and Kim were looking up the Sherebas, until it was getting late and a nurse told them their visiting hours were up.

"But… I suppose a couple of you can stay," The nurse said, sympathetically. "Just so your friend will have company when he wakes up in the morning,"

They looked over at Puggsy, who had drifted to sleep an hour ago.

"We'll stay," Hunter replied, knowing her beau dared not leave their friend's side for even a second.

"We'll be back early in the morning," Kim assured them, as she and Biff walked out.

"I'll go get you both some pillows and blankets," the nurse told the werewolves, and walked out.

Hunter walked over to Fangface, resting a paw on his shoulder. "Boy… Puggsy's one lucky son of a gun," she remarked. "Managing to give death the slip,"

"I'll say," Fangface agreed… though his expression turned serious. "Hunter. Why didn't your cousin come to us, rather than just leaving a recording behind? How come she decided to go after Vincent herself?"

The shewolf scowled a bit. "Either she wants to give that bastard what-for without anyone else getting hurt, or…"

 _Or it was all just another act._ she thought, but didn't say; she didn’t really know her cousin well enough to be sure what her intentions truly were.

"I don't know. I just… I just hope we can catch her- and put Fondane in an early grave for all this." She finished.

"(grr) Get in line, I'm going after him first," Fangface sneered.

"I ain't stopping ya, as long as you save some for me… (ahem) But, right now darling, lets keep our minds focused on the matter at hand, and be thankful Puggsy's alright."

Fangface smiled, nodding. "Yeah, yeah… I'm glad God heard my prayers and didn't take him so soon."

Hunter wanted to make a smart remark on how Puggsy could get into Heaven… but held her tongue. Knowing how much the two friends cared for each other, all they'd been through, and how strong a heart their friend had, she knew she would end up slapping herself in the face for such a comment.

The nurse returned with some pillows and blankets, and the she-wolf made herself comfortable, drifting to sleep. Fangface smiled at her, then turned to Puggsy, stroking his head. "'Night, Pugs, I'll see you in the morning," he whispered, then brushed his bangs back and planted a peck on his forehead, before lying down next to Hunter.

When he shut his eyes, he saw an image of Fangs on his knees, head bowed. _"Thank you, God, for keeping our best friend alive,"_ he was praying.

The werewolf couldn't help but smile in his sleep.


	11. More Questions than Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brielle hides out at a hotel, wallowing in regret. Meanwhile, the gang try to figure out the link between the accomplice, Edwin and Vincent. Puggsy's family inform him that they must return home... though one of them plans on keeping around for their own investigation purposes.

**Five Days Later…**

Brielle sat in her hotel room, having checked in under the alias 'Martha Rose'. Over the past few days, she had kept low--- she wore her hood up at all times, and wore a scarf that hid both the bandages around her neck and her face. She never left the hotel, ordered take-out, and kept all the curtains shut. _I’ve really become a fugitive, haven’t I?_ she told herself. 

She knew everyone would be looking for her… and possibly out for blood, after what she had let happen to Puggsy. She winced every time she thought about it- waking up after her surgery, getting a visit from Matthew in the middle of the night, sneaking into Puggsy's room and seeing him fighting for his life, tears welling up as she made her confession and said her goodbyes, walking out and noticing the werewolf, Fangface, asleep in the waiting room with her cousin at his side, obviously refusing to leave she figured.

 _He's a real dedicated friend… why could Vincent, or anyone, see him as a vicious beast?_ She wondered. She had seen how the werewolf would harass Puggsy and even heard stories from the teen about it… but it all seemed to be just playful gags, and when 'eating' the teen he didn't really maul or bite or even swallow, but kept him trapped in his jaws- proving that he did have some control over his animal instincts, and would never dare cause great harm to his friend.

Thinking about it only made the memory of seeing the werewolf rush to his friend's aid after he was shot more heart-breaking, and Brielle knew that she would never forgive herself for making such a dire mistake. _I've learned my lesson, though._ she thought, bitterly. _I'm going to make it up to them, and make sure Vincent, and no one else in his group, ever comes near them again._

She looked over at the phone. She thought about calling her parents, telling them everything, and telling them that she was sorry for everything and how much she loved them, giving a final goodbye… but she had no doubt the others had possibly found a way to contact them by now, telling them everything. She didn't want to hear them shouting at her again, anyway, calling her an idiot for falling into bad company and possibly having her imprisoned.

A part of her wanted to believe this was all a dream. What would be the odds, after all? She had traveled parts of the world, met some interesting (if not dangerous) people, managed to keep from being found by authorities and dragged home, getting to feel the excitement of being out on her own…

…and, _almost,_ made a true friend.

Every time Brielle shut her eyes, she pictured that day she spent with Puggsy- how he told her all about his life and, just to keep it fair, she told him about her life and troubles, both of them showing support and not pressuring the other to face the past so soon and enjoy life a bit.

When they weren't talking, they were just walking around the city, enjoying the solitude- at first she thought she would have to think of something to say just so he wouldn't think she was antisocial, but the look on his face assured her that he didn't mind the quiet, possibly glad to hang around someone without having to hear them talk or harass him.

The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to confess about Vincent… but kept holding back, worried that he'd turn his back on her, feeling as if she had just been using him to help get Vincent close to the werewolves- it started out that way, she admitted, until she found out what his friends were really like…

And learned that Vincent had been trying to kill a member of her family.

She wanted to think that maybe her cousin had fallen into a bad crowd, that perhaps Puggsy was putting on his own charade, that the teens were actually dangerous in some way… but after finding articles about their adventures, confirming Puggsy’s stories and learning they were well-known heroes, she realized she was mistaken. She wanted to tell Vincent, but something told her to do some further research, thus when she found out that her ‘mentor’ was a wanted man.

That's when she had called Keith, telling him the mission was over... yet she knew that he wouldn't be fooled, and had tried to stay on her guard around the teens. But, after hanging out with them, hearing their stories, and becoming comfortable in their company, she ended up letting her guard down…

That’s when the bastard showed up.

She felt nothing but guilt now - she should have told the gang sooner, she didn't, and now everything was a mess.

But she was going to fix it.

No matter the cost.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"C'mon, guys, can't I get up yet?" Puggsy asked, in a griping tone, as he sat up in bed.

"No, now lay back down, or I'll strap you to the bed," Kasandra scoffed.

Puggsy sighed, crossing his arms. It had been three days since he had woken up when the doctors decided he no longer needed to be hooked up to tubes, and after two extra days of lying around, he was restless.

And it didn't help that the others were working hard trying to contact Brielle's parents, his dad even contacting the police back in Brooklyn about keeping an eye out for the girl, while his mother came and visited at least every hour to tend to his every need. Kasandra had contacted various relatives of hers, to see if any of them still had contact with the Shereba family, yet so far none had, and Fangs- though Puggsy appreciated it- kept by his side every minute, holding up to his (Fangface's) promise of making sure nothing bad happened him.

…though the short teen thought he was taking it too far when the coward tried to karate-chop a fly when it buzzed too close, bruising his hand on the table.

The nights were the worse, though. What Puggsy never told anyone was how he dreaded being in hospitals- the sight of bizarre tools, scent of various medicines, unsettling hums of different machines and sounds of doctors rushing about with patients made him nervous, so having to sleep in such an environment wasn't exactly his way of spending a vacation… let alone the food tasted awful.

And it was even more unnerving at how many hospitals were full of doctors who didn't have much compassion for their patients, sometimes over-exaggerating or underestimating an issue, pumping patients full of meds and relying on chemicals and machines to get the job done. He was thankful he had a doctor who treated him like a patient, not a lab experiment.

Though it unnerved him when another doctor told him that Edwin M. Smith wasn't really associated with the hospital, and no one had really called him in, which was why they had taken a blood sample from him and did a few scans the day after he woke up to make sure the stranger didn't inject him with anything. After a few tests, the results showed Puggsy was fine… though it became a new case for the gang, which Biff and Kim had been looking into.

"I still don't understand… Who could have called him in?" Kim wondered aloud as she and Biff stood across the room. "No one in the hospital ever heard of him,"

"And we've contacted the hospital in New York, no one said they knew his name either," Biff added, referring to the information Puggsy had given them, about Edwin visiting him when he woke up.

"But I swear, I've heard the name before," Puggsy said. "Edwin M. Smith…"

"I remember it," Fangs spoke up.

"You do? From where?" Puggsy questioned.

"From…" he cringed a bit. "…that dinner we had with Brielle. She mentioned going to London and meeting someone with the same name, remember?"

Puggsy gawked, before looking at the others. "How come _he_ could figure it out, and _we_ couldn't??”

Fangs shrugged. "Well… that's all I've thought about the past two weeks- all that happened in that day. Since Fangface never changed back into me until a few days ago, I've spent a lot of time in the back of our mind, remembering that day and looking into every detail that happened, figuring there had to be more answers as to why Brielle never told us anything or how we could have missed some clues."

Kasandra looked at Puggsy, smirking. "And you always thought he was the stupid one," she scoffed, and he only rolled his eyes.

"So, does this mean Brielle was the one who contacted him?" Kim figured.

"He did mention saying one of my 'friends' called him up," Puggsy replied. "Question is, if he isn't a doctor, why did Brielle think he could help- and how could he have gotten here so quick?"

"Ooh, ooh, I wish we could find more answers than questions- I'm getting dizzy…" Fangs muttered, rubbing his head.

"Maybe if we find Edwin, he can lead us to Brielle…" Biff figured.

"And by finding Brielle, we may also find Vincent," Kasandra added, cracking her knuckles.

"Go tell my dad, he might be able to help get a trace," Puggsy told them.

"Right, lets go Kim." Biff said, and he and Kim walked out.

Kasandra held up her cell phone. "I'm going to call my Grandma Sue… hopefully SHE has some sort of contact with my aunt and uncle," she sighed, walking out. "…as soon as I find better reception…"

Puggsy turned to Fangs. "So… why didn't you bring up Brielle knowing Edwin, when his name was brought up a few days ago?" he asked.

"Because these past few days, all I thought about was you. When his name was brought up and everyone said he wasn't really a doctor and might have done something to you, I was more worried that… something bad was going to happen to you again." Fangs admitted solemnly, rubbing his arm as he paced. "I thought that, if he knew Brielle, he might be another accomplice of Vincent's, sent out to make sure neither of you would recover. …You said he spoke with you when you woke up. What all did he say?"

"Only that Brielle had called him in, he was specialized when it came to hearts, and that mine was pretty strong to survive a bullet shot (or I was too stubborn to die)." he paused, rubbing his chin. "There was something odd about him though. He looked too young to even pass as a doctor, his skin was really pale, and he had this weird gaze that almost made me feel cold all over."

"Ooh, ooh, you think he's in cahoots with Vincent?"

"No… otherwise, why would he have helped Brielle and I? Plus, he would have tried to go after you guys too, or lead you into a trap. He looked like a weirdo, but didn't seem like a bad guy."

 _Neither did Brielle…_ he told himself.

"So you think he'll help us track them down?" Fangs asked.

He shrugged. "Maybe…"

Barbara, Richard, Chance, and Toni walked in just then. "Well, hon, we have to get back home." Barbara said, apologetically. "Your father has to get back to the Police Department, but he's going to keep in touch with the officers here in case they find anything, and Toni can't miss any more school days,"

"Oh, come on… I think it's more important to make sure Puggsy recovers than learn algebra!" Toni scoffed.

"I have to get back to the university, too." Chance added. "I was only allowed two weeks off,"

"We'll stay in touch. Let us know if anything else happens," Richard told him, giving his son a hug; Barbara did the same, followed by Toni and Chance. The father then turned to Fangs. "Sherman, keep an eye on my boy."

Fangs gave a salute. "Will do, sir." he said in utmost confidence. Puggsy rolled his eyes.

The family walked out, passing by Luca and Stutz. "Keep me updated, guys… and Luca, see if one of the doctors will let you take home the bullet they took out of Puggsy's heart- I'll need a visual aid when I tell everyone my cousin survived getting shot twice," Toni said to him. Chance grabbed her and pulled her along.

"See ya, Toni. I'll be online later!" Luca called as they walked out.

"C-C'mon, Luca, your mom s-s-said w-w-we could stop by the h-hospital f-for a few m-minutes, then I h-had to t-take you to s-school." Stutz told him.

Luca slouched. "Man, school gets in the way of _everything_ …"

Outside, Chance waved goodbye to his parents and Toni as they drove off, then climbed into his own vehicle, being a red convertible. He looked at something he had pulled up earlier on his laptop, when Luca, Toni, and Stutz gave up trying to find a social-site the Sherebas could be on. _It took a lot of research,_ he thought. _But I may know where to look…_

And he took off down the road, deciding to skip a few more days of college.


	12. The Argument of being Overprotective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kasandra manages to find a way to contact Brielle's parents; while on a lunch-run, Kim ends up colliding with an unusual character. Just when things seem to be turning in his favor, however, Puggsy ends up getting some bad news...

"Thank you SO much, Grandma! Yes, I will. Love you too," Kasandra said eagerly, writing something down, and ran up to Biff and Kim. "Guys! My Grandma Sue knows where we can find my aunt and uncle!"

"That's great! Where?" Kim exclaimed.

"They're living in Omaha, Nebraska, out in the country on my grandfather's old plantation- she said my mom and uncle used to live there before they decided to move to Texas. She added that, when she and grandpa decided to move to Arizona, my aunt and uncle happened to be moving, and they sold them their house since they couldn't find many buyers. …She's been in contact with them over the years, and they're still living there!"

"Then it looks like we'll be heading to Omaha… as soon as Puggsy is allowed to leave," Biff announced. "In the meantime, we'll keep on looking for Brielle. She couldn't have gotten too far,"

"But someone was with her, remember? There was a voice in the background of her video," Kim pointed out. "Question is, who was it?"

"Who else could she know?"

Kasandra thought about it, then snapped her fingers. "I've got it! She told us she had a brother who was coming by to see her… that must have been Matthew!" she suggested, then became curious. "But, why is he on the run, too?"

"She didn't really tell us much about him, except that he travels a lot," Kim replied.

"Lets ask Puggsy. He and Brielle spent a whole day together- she might have told him a few things that could clue us in," Biff suggested, and they headed into their friend's room. "Puggsy, did Brielle tell you anything about her brother, Matthew?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. She said that he moved out when he was 16, graduated college a few years later, and is traveling." Puggsy replied. "Why?"

"In that message she gave us on the camera, we heard someone come into the room and she left with them. We think it may have been Matthew," Kim told him

He only arched an eyebrow. "So, where's this camera you guys have been talking about?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Fangs gasped, reaching into the drawer and pulling out the camera. "I put it in here the night you woke up… I- well, Fangface to be more specific- didn't think you should see it, in case it made your heart rush too much and caused any damage-"

Puggsy swiped the camera from him. "My heart is fine, thank you very much. Now let me see everything she had to say,"

"While you're doing that, we're going to grab something for lunch," Biff told him.

"Grab me something too- if I have to eat any more hospital food, I'll have to get my stomach pumped."

His friends chuckled and walked out. Fangs stood up then. "Kassy, can you stay with Pugs? I have some urgent business to attend to," he said.

Puggsy scoffed. "Like what?"

Kasandra looked at Fangs, seeing how he was crossing his legs. "Well, I'd say nature's calling, and it doesn't want to be put on hold," she quipped. "Go on, Fangs. I'll take over babysitting,"

"Thank you!" With that, Fangs shot out of the room.

Puggsy sneered at Kasandra, crossing his arms. "Honestly, guys, I think I can handle myself… and one more 'babysitting' crack like that, and you'll be in the ICU next," he muttered.

"Nice to see you're back to your old self… oh, wait, no it's not." Kasandra sneered. "Honestly, are you going to always be like this towards your friends, or do you just show your friendly side when you've gone through a near-death experience?"

"When people are friendly to me, I'm friendly to them- except when they annoy me nonstop."

"Like how our romance annoyed you?"

He paused, giving her a slight glare. "Are you going to keep bringing that up every time we're alone?"

Kasandra crossed her arms. "Fangface told me everything you said that night, Pugs… about not wanting to be alone. Do you think I'm some sort of competition for his attention? That I'm hogging your best friend?"

Puggsy sighed. "Fangface managed to figure it out, I don't know how you can't. …Did he ever tell you about the day we met?" she shook her head. "Before I met the gang, I didn't have many friends. I hung around a bunch of gangsters, joining their underground boxing matches, but spent more time on my own outside of the ring. I got into trouble when I wouldn’t throw a rigged match, and that's when I met Fangface, Biff and Kim, who were in trouble with this kidnapper-tycoon creepo. Once we solved our problems, we hung around each other more- we never thought about romance or what our future would hold, just going on trips and enjoying every minute of it, no matter the dangers we faced."

She arched an eyebrow. "And… how does my relationship with Fangs affect that?"

"Lets just say, the moment I saw a spark erupt between you too, I knew those days were going to change…" the door opened, and Fangs walked in, and he lowered his voice. "Figure the rest out. I'm going to watch this video."

Kasandra furrowed her brows, thinking about it. _They never thought about romance, and he thinks me and Fangs being in love will change everything. But we're still facing danger, we're still traveling, we're still enjoying our trips… our relationship didn't change a thing!_ she thought.

Fangs sat down, reaching into his cap. "I brought a deck of cards. Anyone up for a game?" he asked.

"Sure," Kasandra replied.

"No thanks," Puggsy muttered, eyes focused on the video.

… _Did it?_ she couldn't help but wonder, while Fangs shuffled the cards.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Biff and Kim walked out of a fast-food café, with bags of food. "Oh, hold on! I forgot the drinks!" Biff said, handing Kim his bag. "You hop in the Wolf Buggy. I'll be right out."

"Alright," Kim said, carrying the bags in her arms-

*Bump!*

A teenage boy with brown hair, hazel eyes, wearing an orange shirt, black jacket, black pants, and a black-and-orange cap with an orange crescent moon on it walked into her just then, causing her to drop the bags. "Oh! Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!" he said, rubbing an odd-looking bracelet on his wrist.

"It's alright," she replied, picking up the bags… then noticed the boy was tapping his bracelet, his eyes shut as if concentrating. "Um, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, sorry I just… I was just trying to remember the address I was heading to." he then hurried off. "Gotta go, see ya!"

With that, he shot off.

Kim blinked, a bit taken back, then set the bags in the car and checked her purse to make sure the stranger hadn't taken anything during their collision. He didn't.

Biff was walking out when he noticed the boy run off. "Who was that?" he asked.

Kim shook her head. "I don't know… he acted pretty strange, though." she replied. "C'mon, lets get back to the hospital, before we come across another weirdo."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kasandra had managed to convince Fangs to step outside for some fresh air, Puggsy assuring him he'd be alright long enough for Fangs to take a break- let alone made a remark that he didn't need a bodyguard at his side every minute.

Plus, he wanted to be alone after watching Brielle's video.

Seeing the look of grief on her face, how she felt guilty for what happened to him, and the sincerity in her voice when she said she'd hunt down Vincent herself at the cost of her own life… it all made him ache inside. Sure, he would admit it was her fault for not telling them anything until the very last minute, but that didn't mean she should be going after the maniac alone, especially if he held a grudge against her for her 'betrayal'!

 _If she really wanted to make it up to us, she'd have just told us where we could find Vincent and give us the pleasure of kicking his ass… and stick around and face the gang rather than take off like a coward._ he thought, gripping his covers while looking out the window. _If she's not thinking clearly, she's going to end up dead!_

A nurse walked in just then. "How are you feeling?" she asked him, checking his chart.

"Fine. When can I get out of here?" he muttered in reply.

The nurse gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, the doctor said that you'll have to stay another week. They want to run a couple more tests on your heart,"

"WHAT?! I've been in this place for two weeks now, and they've ran several tests on me that proved I was fine!"

Beside him, his heart-monitor was going berserk.

"Sir, please, you're going to have to calm down. The doctors said that if you let your heart rate get too high, I'd have to sedate you."

 _What kind of hospital IS this?!_ Puggsy thought, appalled, and sat back. "Send the doctor in. I'd like to share a few choice-words with him,"

"He's busy with another patient right now. I'll see what I can do." The nurse walked out, while Fangs and Kasandra walked in, Biff and Kim right behind them.

"Pugs, is everything alright? You look like you're about to blow your top!" Fangs asked, concerned.

"They're keeping me here for another week, and running more tests," Puggsy grumbled.

"What?! How many tests are they going to have you take?!" Kim demanded.

"I hope one of them is multiple choice," Fangs added, and Puggsy didn't know whether he was making a joke or if it was just his basic stupidity; either way, he gave him a glare.

"I'm going to have a word with the doctor about this. That's outrageous!" Biff agreed, his tone bitter.

"You do that, I'm going to find a doctor who can give a second opinion," Kasandra added, and she and Biff walked out.

Puggsy shook his head, still furious. "Can you believe this? They've done, what a hundred tests on me already, and they're still not satisfied?" he scoffed. "At least YOU guys know I'm alright enough to help search for Brielle,"

"Well… sort of." Fangs said, cringing.

He gave him a sharp look. "What do you mean 'sort of'? You're not agreeing with that quack, are you?"

"No, it's not that, Pugs, I swear! You don't need any more tests, but… um…"

"I think what Fangs is trying to say is, you shouldn't… really come with us this time." Kim said, as carefully as she could.

He gave her a shocked yet furious look, yet spoke calmly, though his tone sounded worse than him shouting. "Say that _again_ , Kim?"

She sighed. "Puggsy, try to understand. You've been shot, and the doctors said it was a miracle you managed to survive! We aren't sure just how stable your heart is, and don't want you going through any excitement or shocks that may cause it to… well, stop, to put it simply."

"You've GOT to be kiddifying me! Kim, if my heart were that weak, I would have died the last time Fangface attacked me! What these doctors don't understand that I've gone through every kind of life-or-death saturation, and I can handle anything life throws at me!"

"Well we can't take that chance!" Fangs snapped, his tone taking Puggsy off guard. "We nearly lost you once, and until we catch Vincent and his accomplices, I don't want you running off into danger like you always do!"

"I'M the one running off into danger?! As soon as you see the moon, you're running after every kind of creep AFTER pummeling me!"

"That's because I want to stop them before they hurt my friends! (grr)" Fangface seemed to argue through Fangs. "And I've always got you, Biff, Kim, Hunter or anyone else to help back me up! What you did nights ago… (grr) You didn't call for Hunter or me, you were facing Vincent alone, and look what happened- you got shot!"

"He wasn't the one who shot me! He has some other accomplice! I told you that! He came out of nowhere, Brielle didn't even see him!"

"If you had called for us before it happened, we could have done something!"

"What, get shot too? You're not exactly good at dodging bullets yourself!"

"Guys, that's enough!" Kim snapped.

"If I did get shot, it would be because I was taking it for you!" Fangs retorted, not listening to Kim, tears coming out of his eyes. "You took a shot for me a long time ago- and you've always been watching my back before then, and still now! I've been trying to find a way to make it up to you… and after nearly losing you… I'm going to make sure it never happens again!"

"Oh, come ON, Fangs! Just because I took a bullet twice, doesn't mean I need looking after! I'm a tough guy!" Puggsy argued, mostly to reassure his friend.

"You act like a tough guy… but really… you're just stubborn! You think you can handle everything, but you can't!"

"Can't I? Which one of us always had to come up with ideas to get us out of trouble?!"

"Which one of us _has_ the capability of getting us out of trouble?! (grr)" came Fangface again. "Think about it, Pugs- if it weren't for me, you'd never be out of trouble! You'd probably be dead!"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't know HOW to get anyone out of trouble-"

"HEY!" Kim shouted, grabbing them both by the shoulders. "That. Is. ENOUGH. Puggsy, you're going home- if you can't deal with the fact that someone has to look after you after a near-death experience, then maybe you're NOT capable of coming with us! We're going to tell the doctors you don't need any more tests, but that's it! I don't want to hear any argument!" She stood up straight. "C'mon, Fangs…"

Fangs stood up, giving Puggsy a look, then followed Kim out the door.

Puggsy crossed his arms, his heart-monitor racing wildly, though he tried to keep it under control, since his friends thought 'it couldn't take it'. _Treating me like this, claiming I won't make it and ain't capable of all this…_ he thought, and his eyes fell back on the camera. _Now I know how Brielle felt…_


	13. Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang prepare to leave, only to find something shocking. As for Brielle, she ends up crossing paths with someone sent to find her--- but not the person she was supposed to meet.

**One Week Later…**

Brielle looked at her watch, it was an hour to noon. She let out a sigh, pulled on her short-sleeved jacket and scarf, then walked out.

She was nervous about meeting Kite- though after the previous company she got involved in, she doubted it could be any worse. Plus, if Matthew was right, and he could help her bring down Vincent and the rest of his hunting group, then she had to trust him.

Yet despite she was growing close to capturing Vincent and paying her dues, she still couldn't shake the depression she developed. A couple times in the past few nights, she even fell asleep crying, only to have terrible nightmares about the tragic incident. Every time she woke up, she had to calm herself and remind herself to hold strong.

 _If you're brave enough to tick off a werewolf and still have a grin on your face after they've attacked, you can handle this._ Brielle told herself as she checked out of the hotel, walking out with her hood up, heading to the bridge.

However, she still felt that going after Vincent- a man who had taught her how to defend herself and thereby could predict her every move- sounded more dangerous than pushing a werewolf into a pond… especially since the werewolf never killed anyone in his life and was incredibly tame, while the hunter was the one out for blood.

 _I don't care how dangerous he is,_ She thought with a scowl. _He's already caused enough pain… as long as I'm standing, he's not going to cause any more._

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Well… I finally managed to reach my aunt and uncle," Kasandra told her friends, sighing a bit. "They've been on a trip to Florida, and they finally received my messages. They're flying out here to meet with us and discuss our plans on finding Brielle. …Boy, did they sound distraught- at first they thought it was some sick joke, that someone was trying to fool them in order to claim the reward they set up, but once they learned it was their niece calling… well, they were shocked, but relieved."

"So you told them everything?" Biff asked.

"Yeah- and they are FURIOUS. Hearing that their own daughter hasn't contacted them for two years, has been running around the world on her own, working with a maniac, and ended up landing someone in the hospital… well, they have every right to be! From what I can guess, if she's not going to be locked up in jail, she's going to be locked up in her room until the day she dies!"

"Speaking of 'locked up'… is he doing any better today?" Kim asked, referring to Puggsy.

Over the past week, each of them had been taking turns visiting him, and managed to tell the doctors to delay the tests as their friend was doing fine so far and they weren't required, and after asking for a couple more opinions that helped their argument, the tests were called off, though the doctors still advised they keep him another week for surveillance.

During those days, however, their friend remained bitter. "He still won't speak to us," Kasandra muttered, shaking her head.

"I'm scared to take him home…" Fangs admitted.

"Because you think he'll strain himself while we're gone?"

"Worse- he might strangle me while I'm driving him to the airport!"

"Well, his flight leaves in two hours, someone might as well tell him it's time to pack up," Biff sighed, then turned to Kim. "You go ahead, Kim."

Kim rolled her eyes, but walked to the room.

"Guys… you think Brielle is really that bad?" Fangs asked. "I mean… she did sound like she was going through a guilt trip in that video, and she does want to find Vincent and make sure he…"

"She was working with the madman, Fangs, and she took off on her own, and never told us about him ahead of time." Kasandra cut in. "She may be my cousin, but… well, I hate to admit I don't know her that well. She might have been pulling an act, or she may have been serious, but either way we're finding her, and punishment IS going to be waiting for her. SEVERE punishment."

Fangs cringed. "Okay, just asking…"

"I still want to get a lead on this Edwin character," Biff spoke up. "If he has ties with Vincent, why did he help Puggsy?"

"Guys!" came a cry, and Kim came running to them. "Puggsy's room is empty! A nurse said he checked out last night!"

"What?! How could he have gotten out? I was in the waiting room!" Fangs demanded.

"I asked that. She said that you were asleep, but Puggsy gave an alibi that you were taking him home as soon as you woke up,"

"But Fangs would've woken up if he heard Puggsy, right?" Kasandra questioned.

Fangs cringed. "A-Actually… I'm a really heavy sleeper… he probably snuck out-" he admitted, wincing as he slapped his forehead. "I KNEW I should have turned into Fangface!"

"But wouldn't the nurse have spotted him leaving?"

"He probably left when she was out of sight," Biff guessed.

"Well, lets not just stand around yapping! Lets go find the little loudmouthed pipsqueak!" Kasandra exclaimed, whipping out a picture of the moon, and soon Hunter and Fangface were back on the scene, howling. "C'mon, guys… we've got a ton of tracking to do and little time to do it!"

With that, they ran out.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was a quarter till noon, as Brielle stood on the bridge, feeling anxious. A bad feeling had stirred in her gut the moment she left, and she was bracing herself for a sneak-attack from Vincent or Keith, yet had doubts that they would stick around the city, with every cop on the look for them, or perhaps they were laying low somewhere, planning their next move carefully enough to not get spotted. Plus, Kite picked a good place to meet up- the bridge was crowded with traffic, so there would be witnesses in case the hunter or his accomplice could pull anything.

Feeling secure enough, she stared out at the water below, shutting her eyes and slipping into a memory of better days…

_She was only seven when they lived in Texas, whatever feud her parents had with her aunt and uncle having yet to occur; she remembered hanging out with Kasandra, Martin, and Matthew, all of them riding dirt-bikes around the property; they rode down a hill to a lake where they made a campfire, sitting around and cracking jokes._

_Martin would find an old tree-rope and swing out into the lake, while Matthew would do a bolder move and dive off one of the branches, daring their sisters to jump in next- provoking Brielle to push Kasandra in, and then jump in after her, all of them splashing and dunking each other until deciding to warm up by the fire. Then they would ride back up to the house once it was getting dark out…_

… _not noticing a truck driving right towards them, blaring its horn-_

*HONK! HONK!*

Brielle snapped out it, hearing the truck horn blare as it drove by, passing a car that happened to be driving a couple miles too slow, and she shook her head. _I shouldn’t think about better days… It's not like it'll ever happen again. Matthew is too busy; Kasandra and Martin have their own worries; and I made the mistake of teaming up with a psycho._ She told herself. _I need to stay focused, otherwise someone might just walk up and-_

"Found ya," came a voice. "Huh. That was easy."

She gasped, turning and her heart nearly stopped at who she saw. "K-Keith?! I thought you and Vincent…" she stammered.

"What? Went into hiding? Skipped town? Please. We weren't going anywhere until we were sure you were dead," Keith scoffed, pulling his jacket back far enough to show he was carrying a gun. "We can't have you telling anyone of our whereabouts or leading anyone to us, can we?"

"Don't even think about it, the streets are crowded, there'll be witnesses!"

Keith laughed. "You think I care about what people see? Vincent is already all over the news, yet he's still out and about… and you know why? People get killed every day. And in big cities like this, murder is just part of the routine. What did you expect? I mean, after all…" he raised his gun, aiming it at her. "I am your 'stalker'."

*BAM!*

Before Brielle could make a move, someone already did. "You know, if this is going to be a regular thing with you, I'd find someone who didn't talk so much," Puggsy scoffed, rubbing his fist after knocking Keith's lights out, picking up his gun and throwing it over the edge. "You should've called the cops on this creepo like you said you would."

Her eyes widened. "P-Puggsy? Y-You're alive!" she exclaimed, yet cringed when she saw the bandages wrapped around his abdomen, barely covered by a jacket he was wearing, and noticed he looked a little pale. "…what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I was actually trailing Keith, here. I was looking for you this morning when I saw him heading this way, and naturally I followed him in the crowd. Once we got to the bridge, I had to stay back a ways so he wouldn't notice me… but seeing that he was more focused on getting to you, I didn't think it would hurt to hurry up and save your neck- this time for real." he crossed his arms. "Now then… care to explain what gave you the 'brilliant' idea to go after Vincent alone, rather than have my friends and I help?"

The blonde scowled. "I'm not going after him alone, dumbass- I'm not that stupid."

The raven-haired teen scoffed. "What, is your brother going to help? Or maybe that phony doctor, Edwin, you contacted?"

"Sort of… look, I can't tell you much about them. If I did, I would risk my brother's life. …Plus, the reason I didn't want to include you or your friends was because I knew that Vincent would be targeting me if he knew I was alive, and I could draw him away from you and your friends and…" she clenched her fists, trying to force tears back. "I figured they wouldn't want me around… I thought you died."

"Well, since your pal, Edwin, failed to inform you, I'm alive. …And right now, you're coming back with me."

"I can't… I'm meeting someone here- someone who can help us take down Vincent."

"Fine, then I'll meet him too."

Brielle sneered. "Oh, yeah, get yourself involved in MORE danger- you've already been shot twice, maybe the third time's a charm."

"Hey, we've been involved with that psycho before he even called you up. Either way, we're in this together, and despite neither of us like it, we're going to have to deal with it."

"Fine. Whatever. But don't say I didn't warn you,"

Puggsy rolled his eyes. "Like I need a warning,"

*WHAM!*

Keith had regained consciousness, and slammed into Puggsy, knocking him to the ground. He then lunged at Brielle, gripping her by the throat. "Yeah. _I_ talk too much," he deadpanned, then kicked his leg around hers, tripping her and throwing her over the edge! "Have a nice swim!"

"Son of a-" Puggsy grunted, standing up and grabbing him by the shirt collar.

Keith proved to be stronger than he looked, grabbing Puggsy by the jacket and kicking him in the stomach once- twice- three times, before throwing him over the edge next. "Why don't you join her?!"

There were sounds of police sirens just then, and Keith climbed over the edge, maneuvering himself onto the rafters and, seeing an oncoming boat, leaped down; he took out a grappling-hook gun and swung down, landing on the vessel and hiding underneath tarp to avoid being caught. He then took out a walkie-talkie. "Alright, I've done my part. Stay in position, in case you see any sign of our targets." he informed.

All he had to do now was wait for further instructions.


	14. Trouble On The Bay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puggsy and Brielle are alive! However, trouble seems to have an obsession with the two, as they try to get back on the bridge, their interactions now consisting of interrogations and bickering. Guess how things turn out?

What Keith failed to notice was that his two victims didn't hit the water.

Up above the waters, Brielle managed to grab onto the rafters, pulling herself up. Hearing the struggle up above, she managed to move in and catch Puggsy- toppling over as she made the grab, but managed to catch the edge, keeping a hold on Puggsy's jacket, both of them dangling above the water, watching Keith make a getaway.

"Well, this sucks." Puggsy sneered.

"Thanks for the update, Captain Obvious," Brielle scoffed, straining to keep a good grip on him. "(mmf) Listen, not to sound like a jerk, but if you don't get up to one of these beams, my arm's going to fall off,"

"Yeah, yeah, just keep hanging on." Puggsy reached up with his hands, grabbing her arm and swinging his foot onto hers.

"Ow! Hey! Watch it!"

"Stop squirming, will ya?! I'd like to NOT fall a thousand feet into a freezifying river!" he pulled himself up, grabbing onto her shoulders and digging his heel into her side.

"Oof! Well, I'd like to NOT end up back in the hospital, so take it easy- ow, ow, ow, OW! Watch the neck! _I said take it easy!"_

Puggsy was hanging onto her arm, stepping on her shoulder now, reaching and grabbing the beam. "Relax, I've got it." he pulled himself up, then helped her up.

Brielle rubbed her arm. "Yeesh… I knew I should've taken up heavy-lifting,"

"Ah, shut up. We gotta find a way to get down from here," He looked over, seeing they were not too far from the bank. "Listen, if we're real careful, we can make our way across these beams and over to the end of the bridge, then climb up the hill and make our way to the gang,"

She looked up. "Why don't we just climb up the beams and back onto the walking path?"

"These things are slick, we could fall. Plus, it's basically like a second bridge down here, it would be no different."

"Oh, yeah, walking on slick beams is less hazardous than climbing on them- no difference at all."

"Shut up and get moving," They made their way across the beams. "Maybe if we're lucky, someone will spot us and send a helichopper to get us down,"

"I did hear police sirens on the bridge, you may be right. You sure you don't want to try climbing up?"

"Trust me, I think it would be safer to wal-WHOA!" he slipped, nearly falling over the edge if he didn't catch hold of a beam, holding it tightly and breathing rapidly as he looked down, feeling pain form in his chest as he gripped it.

Brielle arched an eyebrow. "You having a heart-attack or something?"

He gave her a glare. "No… like I said, these things are slick,"

"Yeah, you proved that already. Lets just try climbing up- it's a shorter distance upward than across, and there's a lower chance one of us will lose our footing,"

He sighed. _This girl sticks to her opinions, doesn't she?_ he thought. "Fine… but be careful,"

She scoffed. "Trust me, I've had more challenges- some that required tools to climb. I went hiking in some mountains back in Arizona,"

"Yeah? Well, the gang and I survived a fall from the top of the Grand Canyon,"

"Ever have to outrun a mountain goat?"

"Ever have to outrun a 30-foot tyranosaurasus?"

Brielle rolled her eyes, beginning the climb. "We'll compete in who did the most thrilling things later. Lets just get up there,"

"Right… though I'm ahead in points,"

"Ah, shut up and get climbing!"

They began their trek up the beams, a cold fall wind blowing, making Brielle wish she brought a longer jacket with her, yet didn't let the cold distract her. _I really need to start checking the weather advisory,_ she thought. _Ah well… Just a few more feet, we can make it._

"While we're climbing, I want to ask you a few questions," Puggsy spoke up.

"You're honestly going to start interrogating me _now_?" she questioned.

"Trust me, if I was going to interrogate you, I'd have you strapped to a chair with the werewolves standing by to maul you if you resisted. Just answer my questions," he reached up until he was right next to her. "First (mmf) why didn't you tell us you were working with Vincent when we brought him up, or at least have given us a warning?"

"First of all, I had just met you all that day. What did you want me to say? 'Hey, by the way guys'—(urk)—'I've been secretly working with that maniac who's out to kill you. Want to kill me before or after we find him?' I planned on telling you guys sooner, but I got caught up with hanging out with you guys and it slipped my mind."

"Don't give me that sentimental stuff. You could have said something when Hunter brought it up!"

"Hey, keep in mind, I don't get to hang out with many people! And if you found out some maniac was hunting your cousin, I doubt it would be news to share during a reunion!"

"That still doesn't change the fact that-" he paused. "…Hunter's your _cousin?"_

Brielle nodded. "That's when I got the idea that Vincent was the bad guy- I never got to see Hunter since we were kids, but I had doubts that her parents would let her fall into the wrong crowd (like I did)."

"Okay, so… _why didn't you mention THAT?!"_

"Calm down, loudmouth, you're scaring the pigeons. If you were in my position, would you want to tell a family member you got wrapped up in some villain's scheme?"

"I'd tell them everything if I knew someone's life was at stake! Really, you should have thought more about the consequences brought onto others, rather than yourself."

She sneered. "What, you think I only care about myself? Keep in mind, I tried to lead Vincent off to help you guys out, and I'm trying to hunt him down and get rid of him for ya!"

"What about back in the hospital? You left us a video-message, then took off- that wasn't helpful. You could have given us information, or stuck around to face your mistakes maturely, but instead you decided to give us the- SLIP!"

Brielle's foot slipped and she fell, Puggsy catching her scarf. "Urk!" she gagged, quickly grabbing her scarf and unwrapping it from her neck. "(gasp pant) What are you trying to do, hang me?!"

"Just get back on the beams!" Puggsy grunted, trying to pull up the scarf as he felt another pain in his chest.

She began to climb up. "Geez, why is it that every time you're confronting me about our situation, something bad always-"

*rrrrip!*

She gasped, seeing that the scarf had stretched out to its limit and began to tear. "Brielle, hurry!" Puggsy cried.

Quickly as she could, she tried pulling herself up before-

*Snap!*

Too late!

Brielle screamed as she fell down and went crashing into the waves. "Shit! Where's the coast-guard when you need them?!" Puggsy cried, looking around. "Better yet, where are those frickin' cops?!"

He looked down, hoping that she'd resurface… but after a fall that great and the angle she was in when she hit the waves, he knew it was doubtable. He dropped her scarf, turning his body outward so he faced the river, looking down, knowing he had to do something…

 _I can't believe I'm doing this…_ he griped in his head, then leaped, diving downward, wind rushing against his face, making his eyes water with the stinging coldness it brought, until he made contact with the water.

*SPLASH!*

 _Cold, cold, cold, cold, freezifying!_ were his next thoughts once he was under water, and the pain in his chest intensified as he curled his body, letting out a grunt but resumed holding his breath, getting his mind off the coldness and the pain as he searched the murky water for any signs of Brielle. _I knew it was a bad idea to climb…_ he thought as he looked around, finally seeing a shape of a body floating upwards by one of the supporting beams, and he quickly swam over-

He was close when she hit her head on the underside of an old cement outcrop, and with the propulsion of the current, and the way bubbles poured out of her mouth as her body fell limp, he know it was hard enough to knock her out. _That girl keeps getting herself hurt left and right! What happened to the independent chick who took on two brutes in an arcade?_ he wondered as he quickly swam over, grabbing her around the waist and breaking surface, breathing in the cold air.

"Y-You… s-so… o-owe… m-me…" he stammered from the cold, draping her arms around his neck as he swam towards the shore, 30 feet away. "…B-big t-time!"

After what seemed like an hours, they made it to a muddy bank, and he lied her on the ground. She didn't appear to be breathing, and looked pale. _Why me?_ Puggsy thought, knowing what he had to do. He folded her arms over her head, pressed on her abdomen, then- taking a deep breath- leaned in to give her CPR…

"Bring those lips any closer, and you'll be meeting Jesus Christ in person," she muttered, her hand suddenly on his face and holding him back.

"Gah!" he cried, jumping back. "You're conscious?!" he gave her a glare. "How long have you've been awake?"

"Oh, I'd say for the last… 29 feet or so."

He gawked at her. "WHY didn't you SAY ANYTHING?!"

She rubbed her finger in her ear. "Sheesh, pipe down, you're making me go deaf. I'm not that good a swimmer and figured you wouldn't want to be slowed down… plus, I probably kept you warm via body-heat in the water."

He clenched his fists. "Why I oughtta- That's it. We're going straight to the police, and as soon as we find my friends, you're going to… agh!" he clutched his chest, falling on his hands and knees, taking in a deep breath.

Brielle kneeled beside him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Just… urgh…"

She gave him a concerned look, suddenly feeling sick. "It's your heart, isn't it? You weren't allowed to leave, were you?"

He gave her a sharp look. "My heart… is fine."

She shook her head. "Don't give me that crap. We're getting you back to the hospital, something's wrong with you-"

"NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME!” Puggsy’s voice echoed. “Will you and everyone else just stay off my case already?! I don't need looking af— urk!" he doubled over just then, holding his chest, breathing hard, wincing as the pain increased enough that he could barely move.

"Calm down, you're going to kill yourself!" Brielle lied a hand on his shoulder. "Just lie still and relax…"

"Leave me alo- ergh…"

"Shut it. The more stubborn you act, the worse it'll get."

He took deep breaths, glaring at her, then shut her eyes, figuring if he didn't look at her, it would help him calm down a little more. _Why do I always get myself mixed up in these sort of things?_ he griped to himself.

Brielle stayed next to him, looking back up at the bridge, seeing police cars parked by the edge, a few witnesses of Keith's display telling them what happened she saw, and wondered if Kite were up there, let alone wondered when someone would send a frickin' helicopter or boat to search for them, as it had already been up to an hour, maybe longer… the most she saw was a simple fishing boat coming their way, and figured she could wave down the fishermen and get a lift.

She wondered if the rest of Puggsy's friends would show up, possibly searching for him- after remembering how he once told her Fangs/Fangface went everywhere with him, and figured, with the condition he was in, they wouldn't let him wonder off alone.

 _He must have taken off on his own, too._ She thought, glancing at him as he steadied his breathing. _And he criticized my intentions. What a hypocrite._

She couldn't really bring herself to criticize him, however, after seeing the pain he was in, and knew that a large percent of it was caused by her. "I won't run off again," she sighed after fifteen, maybe twenty minutes of silence. "I'll stick around with you, and help you guys out…"

"So, you want to stay together? I believe we can allow that," came an unfamiliar voice.

Brielle turned, seeing a group of strange men coming towards them, throwing a sack over her head as she gasped. "Brielle!" Puggsy cried, being grabbed the moment he sat up, a sack being thrown over his head next, as he and Brielle were shoved down the shore and onto the fishing boat Brielle had noticed, and both of them were thrown into a crate. He tore the bag off his head. "Let us-"

*Slam!* The lid was slammed shut, cutting him off, his shouts muffled.

One of the men, a dark-skinned man with a crow-tattoo on his arm, pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Dark Crow to Marlow. We've managed to catch two of those meddling kids," the man, Dark Crow, spoke.

"Good. Ship them out to a pier 150 miles north of your position. They'll be handled from there, while we take care of the rest of their friends," came an unknown voice in response.

"You want us to kill them now?"

"Nah… keep them locked up in that crate for a few days, and they'll be dead soon enough. In the meantime, keep an eye out for this 'Edwin' fellow- he's been a nuisance in our operations, and we have reasons to believe he has connections to Kite."

"Yes, sir." Dark Crow put away the walkie-talkie, then turned to his lackeys. "Alright, men, we're heading north! Haul the crate below deck! …and don't handle it with care, ha ha."

"Aye, captain!" one of the men shouted.

Inside the crate, Puggsy and Brielle were pounding on the lid. "It's no use, they've sealed it shut," Brielle began to gasp, holding her chest. "I can't stand tight spaces… I'm getting claustrophobia!"

"Calm down, this is no time to catch closet-phobia!" Puggsy snapped. "We'll just have to think of a way out of here, find a weak point and slam against it as hard as we-"

*Ka-clunk! Thunk! Thud!*

"Ow!/Oof!/Ugh!/Agh!" they both cried as the crate was 'rolled' across the deck.

*Konk!*

Their heads slammed together, and they both blacked out.


	15. Kite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang arrive to the bridge, learning the worse. In their moment of despair, Brielle's contact introduces himself to them... in the most unexpected way possible!

**7:53 PM**

Biff, Kim, Fangface and Hunter drove across the bridge, still on their search for Puggsy. "Alright, Stutz, thanks…" Kim sighed, hanging up her cell phone. "Stutz didn't see him anywhere."

"Luca said he's been looking all over after school, but didn't spot him either." Biff added. "He probably went to the other side of the bay. …I'm really worried,"

"You're worried? Imagine what his mom is going to be like when we tell her!" Hunter exclaimed, her southern-drawl showing. "She'll be more riled up than a bull in a rodeo!”

"Ooh, ooh, you think they're worried?! I'm a wreck too! (grr)" Fangface cried, close to a nervous breakdown. "I make a promise to watch after my best buddy, and I blow it! I'll never forgive myself if something bad happens to him! I can't stand picturing him out there, wounded, lost, alone… what if he's been mugged?! Or worse, what if Vincent caught him?! Or-"

Hunter grabbed him by the shoulders. "Fangface! Get a grip! I'm sure that he's alright. We'll find him,"

"Okay… you're right… I hope we find him soon. As soon as I see him, I'm going to hug him tight… (grr) then throw him in the bay for running off! Then I'll fish him out and hug him again, then chew him out for going out looking for trouble! (grr)"

Hunter leaned over towards Biff. "Better step on it, Biff… he's starting to get bipolar."

"I don't think I'll be able to. Look!" Biff replied, pointing ahead seeing some squad cars by the bridge, along with the coast-guard. They pulled up to the side, stepping out. "Officer, what's going on?"

"Some lunatic teenager attacked a young girl. Some other boy knocked him out and started talking to the girl, when suddenly the maniac regained consciousness and threw them over the bridge. Our research team has been scouring the water for signs of them for the past six hours," The officer replied.

Biff gulped, thinking the worse. "What did they look like?"

"The girl was about five-feet with blonde hair, the boy was the same height with black hair and stocky, and the lunatic had brown hair and wore all-black." he held up a back of evidence. "The most we've found was this torn scarf the girl was seen with, this gun, and this gray fedora."

"No…" Kim gasped, covering her mouth as tears formed in her eyes.

The officer gave them concerned looks. "Did you know one of them?"

"The girl was my cousin… and the boy with the fedora was our friend," Hunter replied, tears running down her face.

"Do you know who the culprit was?"

"No… but, we may have an idea," Biff said, darkly.

"I see. Would you come with me for questioning? It may help our case,"

Biff and Kim walked with the officer first, while Hunter stayed with Fangface, who was looking over the edge, in complete despair. "Fangface…?" the she-wolf asked, quietly.

"I'm going to kill him." Fangface growled, gripping the edge so tightly that, with his super-strength, he bent the metal. "The moment we see Vincent, the moment I see the white of his eyes… I'm going to kill him! (snarl)"

Hunter took a step back, noticing Fangface's eyes were practically glowing red with anger… yet she didn't blame him. Because of the werewolf hunter and his accomplices, her beau had lost his best friend, and was now on the verge of killing the maniac and whoever helped him…

Including Brielle, she figured.

 _Brielle, if you managed to stay alive, you'd better try to steer clear from us._ Hunter thought, bitterness welling up inside her. _Because if you're dumb enough to come near us after what you've caused, you'll be dead on the spot!_

"Excuse me, are you two Fangface Fangsworth and Hunter Bickerson?" came a voice, and the werewolves turned to see a boy with brown, messy hair, hazel eyes, wearing a black jacket and black-and-orange cap.

"Yes… who are you?" Hunter replied, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm a friend of your cousin, Matthew. I was supposed to meet with Brielle at noon here on this bridge, fifteen minutes before that lunatic attacked her and your friend. When I came by and learned about it, I've been doing my own investigation, and felt I should inform you of what I found out,"

Hunter and Fangface looked at each other, then gave suspicious glances at the stranger. "Why should we trust you?"

"Yeah, how do we know you're not another accomplice to Vincent?" Fangface sneered.

The boy looked out the corner of his eye, seeing the moon beginning to peek out through the clouds. "Well, there's one way I can prove it to you…"

Biff and Kim had just finished telling the officer everything they knew, when they heard an unexpected sound.

" _Arrrooooooooooo!"_

They thought it was Fangface at first, howling in despair, but when they looked over, they knew that their case had taken an interesting turn.

"Hello. I'm Kitefang," The new werewolf said in introduction.


	16. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitefang informs the gang of his investigation, as well as a bit of information about who Vincent works for; As for Chance, he manages to get involved in the case as well, after 'persuading' a friend.

The gang stared at Kitefang, at a loss for words. Not only were they surprised at meeting yet another werewolf… but the fact that this one had some resemblance to Fangface, looking exactly like him- but with two fangs, and hazel eyes.

"I can tell you weren't expecting meeting another werewolf, and I'm not one to show off my identity- though it was the only way I could prove I'm not associated with that 'Fondane' psychopath." The new werewolf told them. "I suppose you have a few questions, now."

Fangface raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"…Are you my cousin?" Fangface asked.

Kitefang chuckled. "I'll run a DNA test later… right now, shall we discuss the matter at hand? I'd like to swap information."

"Sure. It started when-" Hunter began.

Kitefang raised his paw. "Not here, somewhere more private."

The gang agreed, climbing into the Wolf Buggy while Kitefang climbed onto a motorcycle, and they followed him off the bridge and away from the scene, stopping on the side of the road as the werewolf guided them down to the bay, towards several sets of footprints.

"The coastguard checked the shores, figuring these were all foot-prints of some fishermen who claimed to have stopped near the edge due to engine troubles. …What they failed to notice was that not many fishermen wear a size '13’ Italian loafers, or- if one looks closely enough- a couple body-imprints that had been tried to be smudged out."

They looked, seeing that a few footprints, apparently, had tried to hide a couple body imprints, one of them being so deep it was hard to cover up and easy to spot… though from the position, whoever it was must have been lying in a fetal position.

"And a couple witnesses claimed they saw a fishing boat sailing by a bit too close to the shore--- and considering there isn’t a proper dock around and it obviously didn’t stop long enough to signify there was an emergency, it’s safe to assume the vessel was being used for something other than catching trout. … Long story short, I have reason to believe your friends survived their dive, made it to shore, but were abducted- no doubt by some more accomplices associated with the Veni-Con-Yei,"

"The whatty-what-what?" Hunter questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"Veni-Con-Yei. It's an old language meaning, 'Hunters of Darkness'. The group was founded by a man named Marlow Bellington, who dedicated his life to hunting werewolves, vampires, zombies, and anything else supernatural. However, he is so intent on killing that he'll destroy anyone associated with any kind of creature, good or evil, and will stop at nothing until every creature and its allies are slaughtered- he's killed several families over the past 20 years already."

"That's horrible! I mean, I can understand why he'd want to hunt the evil ones--- actually, no, even then he has no right to take someone’s life! And he should know there are good creatures out there, too! Our friends are proof of that!" Kim cried, more than appalled.

"Heh, he doesn't care, considering he's quite evil himself. He abandoned all morals and innocence after starting the group- he doesn't even care that he puts his own son in danger. They say he even killed his own mother."

"What an asshole," Hunter sneered. "And Vincent works with this guy?"

"He's practically his right-hand man, and even more skilled than the leader. …Luckily, we have our own little group ourselves: The Thorns, dedicated in bringing down the Veni-Con-Yei and going after the _real_ villains, and we happen to have more skills… particularly because half our team happens to be werewolves,"

"(grr) Can't beat that," Fangface agreed.

"And you'll help us get our friend back?" Biff asked in hope.

"Of course, especially since they've got a Shereba in their hands," Kitefang replied, grinning.

"What's that got to do with it?" Hunter questioned.

"I believe you'll have to ask the family yourself. I'm restricted from sharing too much information- in case we're being spied on, y'know," Kitefang looked around suspiciously… even dunking his head in the water, pulling it up and shaking it dry.

"Hey… Brielle's parents said they were going to meet us!" Biff spoke up.

"You think they'll tell us?" Kim asked.

"We'll see once they arrive. Right now, I'd like you guys to and tell me your side of the story," Kitefang requested.

"Well, it started two weeks ago, when Puggsy- our missing friend- told us about this girl he saved, Astrid Southerland…" Hunter began to explain.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Chance was twenty miles out of town, walking into a hotel where a stranger awaited him. "Any particular reason you called me here, Hossy?" the stranger asked. "I'm on a tight schedule,"

"Right, a schedule consisting of goofing off during your trips," Chance scoffed. "You know why I'm here… it involves my brother. A bit of investigation shows that you may have a part in the search for this 'Fondane' nut-job who's been harassing our werewolf friends,"

The figure smirked a bit, showing pointed teeth. "Maybe I do… but you know it's classified information,"

Chance arched an eyebrow. "…You mean as classified as Lt. Ryan finding out you were putting the moves on his daughter?"

He received a sharp glare. "That's not classified information, that's a lie! I was only in her dorm room to help set up her wi-fi connection, and you know it!"

"Eh, everyone else on campus thought otherwise…" Chance smirked.

"…Don't make me kill you."

"Ah, shut up. Let’s cut to the chase--- I want to know what you know about Vincent Fondane, his accomplice Keith… and a girl named Brielle _Shereba_ ,"

The figure clenched-unclenched their fists at the way Chance said the word _Shereba,_ knowing the hansom teen was just acting sly. "I don't know anything," he replied, keeping a poker face and hiding his irritation.

"Don't play dumb, I've already figured out a few things- she's been missing for years, her parents set up a reward, and she was _working_ with the _same creeps_ who tried to _kill my brother and friends_ -"

"She wasn't working with them! They manipulated her! She ditched them the moment she found out the truth-" The figure stopped himself, scolding himself for letting his anger force him to reveal too much- let alone allowed Chance to draw it out.

Chance smiled, showing a bit of victory. "So… you know her, after all. I figured you did,"

"Nice job, Sherlock- but don't think that, just because you learned a couple things, I'll let you join in on our investigation,"

"Why not? I'd be a good agent,"

The figure sneered. "They don't just let a pretty face join in,"

Chance crossed his arms. "Ain't that how YOU got in? *gack!*" The figure reached and grabbed him by the neck.

"This ain't some secret-agent kiddy-game, Murphy! It's bad enough Brielle is involved, I don't need my best friend getting in danger next!"

"I may be in danger already just by being friends with you. …I know it's happened to my brother already. He's friends with Fangface, and now they're targets. Haven't you've considered that, if I were on your team, there would be a less chance of me getting captured and a greater chance that you could catch Marlow with another recruit?"

"Just because you're named 'Chance' doesn't mean you should _take_ chances,"

"And just because you're called 'Twiggy' doesn't mean you're a weakling. …My brother's been shot. My friends are in danger. I already know about the agency. I've been involved since the day we met."

The figure released him, growling a bit. "Are you willing to take a bullet just because of a little determination?"

"If it means my brother won't get shot a third time, yes."

The figure sighed. "(geez you're an ass) Fine. We'll head out in the morning- I have to head to the docks for a lookout assignment. Better tell the university you're taking a few more weeks leave,"

"Eh, we're going to be on break next week. Nothing to worry about,"

"With an attitude like that, I can see why people think you're just a pretty-face."

"Yeah? Which one of us got straight 'A's on last year's final exams?"

The figure rolled their eyes. "Just c'mon, Hossy."

"After you, Nightclaw." He followed him into the hotel to book a room, secretly boasting about getting his friend to crack, knowing he would sooner or later.

After all, Thorn agents are required to help out many friends of werewolves against the Veni-Con-Yei.


	17. Talk About A Cheap Cruise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As their friends continue their search, Puggsy and Brielle find themselves stuck in a crate. The only way out is to get the guard to open the top--- if they can go five minutes without having a banter.

"…and then he just took off. That's when we came searching for him by the bridge," Hunter finished telling Kitefang.

"So Astrid- who is really Brielle- was an accomplice to Vincent, yet after spending a day with you, seemingly turned the tables. Well, that would explain why she planned on meeting up with me," Kitefang replied, rubbing his chin.

"Yes," Hunter sighed with relief. _So she wasn't pulling another act to help out Vincent,_ she thought, though cringed. _…Unless, she was trying to lure a Thorn agent into a trap…_

"But we're still upset that she ran away from us rather than telling us ways that could help us catch Vincent," Biff added, a bit crossed.

"…let alone didn't face us when my buddy got shot," Fangface muttered bitterly.

"Well, I can assure you, once we find them- alive and well- everything will be settled; Brielle will be sent home, Puggsy will be safe with you again, Vincent will be in jail (if he's that lucky to live), and we'll be one step closer to taking out Marlow." Kitefang said, optimistically. "Anyone up for a few sodas and a movie, afterwards?"

" _After_ we find our friend," Hunter firmly replied.

"Well, lets not dawdle, then. The search continues!" Kitefang lead them back to their vehicles.

"I hope that, wherever they are, they're alright…" Kim sighed, worried.

0o0o0o0o0o0

'Alright' was the understatement of the year.

Brielle came to first, hearing a soft pounding in her ear.

_ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump_

Once her focus cleared, she realized it was a heart-beat… and she was lying against Puggsy's abdomen. She quickly pushed away, gasping. _Well, at least I know he's alive._ she told herself. She rubbed her head, as it still ached from their heads colliding, and she began to wish they weren't crammed inside such a tight space. _They couldn't have just locked us in a cell, or chained us to a wall, or even tied us up, gagged us, and thrown us overboard- instead, they decided to play FedEx._

She saw a hole in the side of the crate, and peeked out, seeing that there was a gruesome-looking man sitting on a chair, picking his teeth. _No use trying to bust this thing open without some asshole hearing us._ she figured.

There was more groaning to be heard, as Puggsy came to. "Anyone get the number of that cranium that hit me?" he muttered, rubbing his head. "Where are we?"

"Still in the crate, where else?" Brielle scoffed, then pointed at the hole. "And apparently they've got some goon standing by, so breaking out ain't going to be easy."

Puggsy looked through the hole. "I've seen goons like that before- they're normally stupid enough to trickify into opening the lid. If we're convincing enough, we can fool him and make a break for it," he whispered to her.

Brielle rolled her eyes. "Looks can be deceiving,"

He rolled his eyes. "Watch and learn," he then raised his voice, loud enough for the guard to hear yet kept his tone casual. "Well, Brie, I guess this is it- we're doomified now. Not only have we've been captivated, but we're going to die as well. On the bright side, they'll never get THIS from us!" he gave her a look, that said 'Play Along'.

Brielle shook her head, but obeyed. "Huh, I thought Keith took that. How did you get it?" she feigned as convincingly as she could.

"I swiped it off him during the struggle. I've been keeping it hidden in my jacket this whole time. It's a good thing we're in this crate, where no one can see it, or get their hands on it. They can kill us and throw our bodies out to rot, but they'll never know that they were close to the ticket to fame and fortune."

 _Dear Lord, where does this guy come up with these lines?_ Brielle groaned mentally.

"Yep, if someone were out there right now, I'll bet they'd break open this crate just to get their hands on it."

 _The dialogue… it hurts…_ she thought, but added, "Oh, yeah… we'll be the richest dead-people alive."

"Shh, he's coming," Puggsy whispered. "Get ready, we'll have to tackle him before he tries to-"

"If you think I'm dumb enough to fall for that poor act, you're sadly mistaken." The goon said… in a sophisticated tone. "First of all, your jacket is a Marco-DeJean original--- I can tell from the collar--- and that style does not have pockets deep enough to keep anything, nor does it have interior pockets. And even if you did have something that could be valuable, we tend to rob the bodies of their material items before leaving them to rot- it's easier than having to fight against the victim or hear them sniveling about not wanting to part with it. Also, your lines were atrocious and made about as much sense as dialogue from a bad 1980's movie. Finally, I'll have you know that many of us on this ship graduated from Harvard, having chosen the criminal life due to the faults of society, so I am not some ‘goon’ who can be easily fooled by a performance that would make an elementary-school play look like a Broadway hit show!”

Puggsy sat there blinking, stunned.

"Told you so," Brielle scoffed.

"Shut up!" he snapped. "I doubt you could do better…"

"Yeah? Just wait until they open the crate later on- they won't know what hit them."

Puggsy crossed his arms. "Well, until then, could you move over? You're hogging my side of the crate."

" _Your_ side? My feet have been planted there since we were stuffed in here!"

"Well my _whole body_ has been shoved against this side at the same time, therefore it's more MY side,"

"Well, there's no room to move anyway, so you're going to deal with it!"

"It'll be easier to deal with if you weren't digging your heels into my thighs!"

"Would you rather have me dig them into your _face?"_

"Ah, just shut up and angle yourself a little better so you're not crowding me!"

"Hey, you can angle yourself too, wise-guy… and while you're at it, shut your own mouth, your breath is going to kill us both!"

"MY breath? Listen up, you little…!"

The guard rubbed his face with a growl, then walked over and kicked the crate hard enough to make the twosome inside rock and hit their heads again. "Shut up in there, will you?! I swear if I hear any more arguing, I'll kill you both and toss your bodies in the bay!" he snapped.

"Well, he started it!" Brielle snapped.

"You got me started!" Puggsy retorted.

"I don't care who started it, I'll finish it! Now, _pipe down!"_ the guard snapped, giving the crate one more kick before sitting back in his position. "Damn brats…"

A moment passed in silence.

"Are we there yet?" Brielle deadpanned.

"GAAAH!" The goon bellowed, then stormed over to the stairs. "GINNY! COME DOWN HERE AND TAKE OVER! THESE TWO ARE GOING TO MAKE ME TO WASTE AMMO!"

Brielle nudged Puggsy. "Okay, here's a plan- we keep irritating all the guards until one of them gets pissed enough to open the crate to throttle us. The moment they do, we attack 'em, steal their weapons, and get off this ship," she whispered.

"Oh, good plan- except that they may kill us the moment they open the crate, or just toss us overboard to sink and drown; And even if we _did_ manage to get their weapons, how would getting off the ship work? We don't know where we are, we could be clear from land!" Puggsy criticized.

She gave him a glare. "Then what were YOU planning on doing once we broke out?"

"Hiding out somewhere until we reached a port,"

"Oh, like that's any more brilliant- there's goons all over this ship, where could we hide?! Let alone HOW could we hide once they discovered we've escaped?! They know this ship well. They'd search everywhere and would find us in seconds! That's a terrible plan!"

"Well _your_ plan was no better!"

"Better than yours, dumbass…"

"Watch your mouth, you stupid-"

*tap tap tap*

"Um, excuse me… I believe I have a plan that could help you out," came a voice.

Puggsy peeked out of the crate, seeing a familiar face… "KIM?" he exclaimed.


	18. Gin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new ally is willing to help Puggsy and Brielle escape, learning she is more of a captive than a comrade to their enemies. Back at the hotel, Kite reveals some information about Edwin to Fangs.

"What?!" Brielle gasped, shoving Puggsy over to get a better look.

"Um, my name's not Kim," the girl outside the crate replied in a meek tone.

Puggsy pushed Brielle away, getting a better look, realizing his mistake. Facial-wise, the girl looked a lot like Kim, but her hair was longer and tied back, she wore a bandana, a baggy shirt, pants, and sandals, and also sported a ruby-necklace. "Sorry… you look like a friend of mine," he muttered.

"Why do you want to help us out?" Brielle questioned, shoving Puggsy aside to keep eye-contact with the girl.

"Because, I want to." the girl replied, keeping her voice low. "I don't want to be here, either. I was forced to be here, and have been looking for a way out. I want to work a deal- if I help you guys get away, will you help me escape too?"

"What makes you think we can trust you?"

"How many strangers would offer you help? At least give me a chance,"

"No thanks…"

"Are you crazified? She's willing to help!" Puggsy hissed.

"It could be another trap,"

" _Another_ trap?! We're already trappified! Why shouldn't we trust her?"

Brielle crossed her arms. "Because if you trust the wrong person, they’ll just end up stabbing you in the back. They pretend to be helping you out, when really they're just helping themselves…"

He sneered. "Like with you and Vincent?"

*BAM!*

The Kim-lookalike leaned back from the crate after it rocked. "I-Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Justh a frang extchange ob ideash…" Puggsy replied, holding his nose. "…comblede wid a _noshe mbleed!"_

"Hey, it's your own damn fault for not watching your mouth," Brielle groused.

"Listen… I really want to help--" the girl began, though paused when she heard the steps creak. "I wasn't speaking to you, got it?" She rushed over to a barrel, sitting down casually.

"Ah, Gin, I see you've taken over watching over our prisoners… make sure they don't escape," came the voice of Dark Crow.

"Yes, sir. I haven't had any problems with them so far,"

"Hmph, lets hope it stays that way, you've already fouled up enough times since I've taken you in. It won’t be too long--- once we reach a port, we’ll be shipping them off to Ireland. The Veni-con-Yei have a base there. They’ll be put through some… ‘conditioning’. Marlow claims from all the trouble they’ve caused, death would be too much of a reprieve--- though claims if they get to be a hassle, we can grant them that mercy. Do you think you can handle that, Gin?”

Gin trembled a bit. “Sir… you know I’m incapable of taking a life…”

“Hmph. Could have fooled me. You’re the reason your mother died,” He grabbed her roughly by the arm, making her gasp in pain. “And keep in mind, if you go against my orders, you’ll be joining her!”

Dark Crow shoved her back before going back up the stairs.

Puggsy and Brielle listened, hearing Gin trying to keep her breathing steady, as if holding back tears. They looked at each other, silently agreeing to give her a chance.

0o0o0o0o0o0

It was roughly 5 AM by the time the gang returned to the hotel, Kitefang with them, yet no one was willing to sleep until they found some sort of trace. The new-found werewolf told them that he contacted some allies of his to stand guard at every port and keep an eye out for their friends, let alone any sign of Keith, who he knew was somewhere in the area, still.

The sun began to rise, transforming the werewolves back human. "Man, that gets irritating," Kite said with a huff, shaking his head a bit after his spin. "Ever wish you could just choose one identity and stick with it?"

"Sometimes," Fangs replied, still depressed as he lied his face in his arms.

Kite put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. We'll find your pals- there's never been a victim the Thorn's couldn't save from the VCY. Just ask my friend, Edwin Smith. He-"

"Edwin?" Fangs snapped up and grabbed Kite by the shirt. "How do you know him?! Where is he?!"

"Augh! He's just a good friend of mine! I met him back in England when I was eleven! He was going to meet me in New York two weeks ago but got called in for something important! …Why? Have you've met him?"

"No… but… m-my friend did. Edwin said he was a doctor, and performed surgery on his heart after he was shot." Fangs calmed down, letting go of him. "The doctors were freaking out because no one knew him, and we were worried he was working with Vincent and did something to harm my friend…"

Kite straightened out his jacket. "Nah, Edwin would never harm others without a good reason- pull quite a few pranks, perhaps, but when it comes to medical business, he's serious about helping others. Plus, I doubt he would be allowed to work with Vincent even if he wanted to- the VCY has a thing against vampires."

"Oh, good. I'm glad to hear tha- VAMPIRES?!” Fangs’ eyes widened as he gawked at Kite.”L-Like the blood-sucking, lurking in the night, pale-skinned kind of vampires?"

"Yes… though don't worry, he's never tasted blood so your neck is safe. And, like I said before, he's a good friend of mine. Heh, funny. For a kid who can turn into a werewolf, you seem pretty shocked about learning your friend met a vampire."

"Well, it's not the first time any of us met a vampire… well, except this one is good. Sorry, it's just my nerves are shot, I'm worried sick, I can't eat or sleep without thinking about Puggsy, and I'm just really scared…"

Kite patted him on the back. "There's nothing wrong with being scared, as long as you don't give up."

Fangs looked at him, eyes watering. "You sure there was no one the Thorn's couldn't save?"

"Trust me. Before Vincent plans his next move, we'll have your friends back."

Fangs nodded, and suddenly Kasandra came walking into the room. "I just got a text from my Uncle Kiff- their flight got delayed because of a storm in their area. I told him Brielle is missing and we’re looking for her." she sighed, clenching her fist. "They’re both worried sick now… Damn that girl for all this trouble! Whatever trouble she’s in now, it’s nothing compared to what _I’ll_ put her through!”

"I'm with you on that! Just wait until I see her! She’s gonna regret the day she hung out with my best buddy!" Fangs growled, though no one could tell whether it was really Fangface speaking or not.

Kite looked at the two of them, seeing how tense they became every time Brielle's name was brought up, and he knew one thing- the girl was going to be in hot water even after her rescue. “So… either of you want a Snickers© from the vending machine?” he awkwardly asked.


	19. Going Out In A Blaze of Glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gin helps Puggsy and Brielle escape. After a bit of turmoil, the two are reunited with some familiar faces.

Outside, the air had grown cold. Half the crew donned their heavy jackets as they worked on the ship.

Though, when you're stuffed inside a crate, it's a whole different story.

It had grown muggy inside the cramped wooden box, forcing Brielle and Puggsy to take off their jackets. Gin, in an act of generosity, allowed them to drink some water through a straw so not to get dehydrated, and them some candy that would fit through the hole. Whenever she was relieved from a shift, she would inform the next guard how their captives did nothing but bicker, one of them punched the other, and it had been silent since then.

(Though, that last part was true. Puggsy’s nose finally stopped bleeding.)

When it was her turn to stand guard again, she managed to smuggle down a crowbar. She hid it behind some barrels, telling the two that they would have to wait until late in the night before she freed them. “I’ve worked with this crew long enough. Around 3 AM, everyone but the helmsman and the watch-guard are passed out.” Gin told them.

“So, how did you get stuck working with that creep? Did he kidnap you too?” Brielle asked, as they waited for the nightly hours to pass.

“Not quite… He’s my dad.” Gin replied in a sigh. “My parents were divorced, and my mother got full custody. When I was ten, she said she wanted to send me to boarding school; I got mad and ran away from home-- I actually just hung around the park, but when I went home…I found out that she went out looking for me, and ended up in a car accident. She died instantly. A few weeks later, my father came and got me. He didn’t let me go back to school, made me take online classes instead, and forced me to work on the ship once I turned 18. …It wasn’t until it was too late I found out what kind of man he really was.”

“Why didn’t you just run away?”

“I tried once, but… he always found me, and anyone who helped me, he---“ Gin sighed, shaking her head. “Well, you can figure it out.”

“If you’re so scared of him, why are you helping us, then?” Puggsy asked.

“Because I refuse to turn a blind eye to kidnapping!” She paused, her tone having been a bit loud, and she whispered. “He thinks he’s got me wrapped around his finger, thinking that after what he’s done in the past I wouldn’t dare work against him… Well, I’m going to prove to myself he’s wrong.”

“Heh. Wow. And I thought I had parental issues,” Brielle commented. Puggsy elbowed her, giving her a sharp look.

There came footsteps. “That’s the next guard, Big Tina. She doesn’t do anything but smoke, and is very lazy. I’ll be back around midnight, for sure. Just stay quiet, okay?”

“See you then,” Puggsy replied.

…

Big Tina was just as Gin said, being a large hefty woman who smoked cigars--- not cigarettes, cigars. The smoke was thick and she kept blowing it onto the crate, chuckling when she heard the two cough. However after half an hour she got bored, and started playing ‘centipede’ on a flip-phone.

It managed to get cold again inside the crate, and Brielle regretted not wearing a long-sleeved jacket. “Here,” Puggsy whispered, draping his jacket over the both of them, though it barely covered his shoulders.

Brielle cringed. Seeing the bandages wrapped around his abdomen reminded her of the reason they were in this situation in the first place, and it didn't help that the teen was having heart-problems and could only stand so much aggravation until he had an attack. “I’m fine… you need it more than I do. Why didn’t you wear a shirt?”

“I was in a hurry, so I just threw on a pair of pants, a jacket, my hat and amscrayed before the night-nurses made their rounds. But I’m fine.”

 _Up until your heart stops…_ Brielle thought with regret. If she had known about it before, she wouldn't have irritated him so much- let alone made him swim 30 feet in the bay carrying her on his back- then maybe they could have climbed back up to the street before Dark Crow arrived, and located the gang.

With every moment of silence that passed, the deeper her guilt became.

The tension had the same weight on Puggsy as well. Seeing the bandages around Brielle's neck, he was reminded of the night everything turned out wrong. He had blamed her for everything once she took off, yet over time he knew it wasn't all her fault- she only wanted to do something right and prove she was capable of handling herself, only to end up in trouble just by trying to help someone out. …Granted it wasn’t well thought-out, but it wasn’t like she had experience in heroism like he and the gang did.

To him, it seemed as if every time she was about to do something right (whether by her means or others), something would happen and cause it to blow up in her face. Trying to help her 'teacher' track down some villains, and it turns out he was the villain the whole time; trying to make it up to the people she hurt by going after him, and one of his lackeys pops up and tries to kill her; and just hours ago, she made a promise to go back with him and not run off… and suddenly they both get kidnapped.

He wanted to believe she was just ignorant and didn't think her plans through- though, considering he could relate to her with the mistakes he's made in the last 24 hours, he wouldn't bring himself to even think it without the insult being thrown back at him.

Around midnight Gin came back down and relieved Big Tina. “About time, my phone’s about to die,” the hefty woman scoffed, letting out an obnoxious yawn as she stretched and went up the stairs.

Gin waited ten minutes to make sure the coast was clear, before grabbing the crow-bar. "There’s been a change of plans. I just found out we’ll be nearing the docks by 5 AM.” She whispered, prying off the lid as quietly as possible and letting them climb out. "Everyone has to be awake two hours beforehand, so we have to start sneaking you out now. Go hide in one of the barrels over there-the crew has to roll them out onto the deck when we reach port." she grabbed two heavy gunny-sacks, throwing them in the crate so to make it feel as if their captives were still in it, then sealed the lid back on with wood-glue. "Once we're at the docks, you two can jump out and make a break for it,"

"What about you, though?" Brielle asked. "How are you going to escape?"

Gin shrugged. "I figured I'd make a run for it with you guys,"

"Heh, no offense, Gin, but that's not quite a good idea," Puggsy replied.”Suppose we get spotted? Dark Crow would find out Gin betrayed him and she'd be dead like us. Not to mention, we've still got a bunch of creepos on our tail, and once they find out we've escaped, they'll be on the hunt for us again. And believe me, Gin, you do NOT want to get involved in this. I think we should set up a distraction long enough for us to sneakify off, and get her to a safe place, then scrammify before any more of Vincent's cronies know we gave them the slip."

Gin rubbed her chin. "That _is_ a better plan," she agreed. "But, what kind of distraction can we use to stall them for that long?"

Brielle looked around at the rest of the cargo, when her eyes fell upon a crate. "I think I have an idea…" she replied with a sly smirk, after reading the label.

From the way she was grinning, Puggsy felt an ache in his abdomen, having a feeling she was planning much more than a distraction.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The ship reached its destination roughly around a quarter till 5 AM, the crew awake and loading/unloading cargo. Two men walked down to the hold, where Gin was sitting on the crate that [previously] held their captives. "Alright, Gin, you're relieved of your duties… mark it as the first time you didn't mess things up," one of them sneered.

"Are those babbling brats still alive?" the other, who was the first to guard them, asked.

"If they are, they've been roughly quiet," Gin replied, then tapped the side where she had plugged the hole. "I suppose they didn't want to waste any of the air they had left."

The two goons laughed. "Well, what do you know? Ginny's finally found her dark side!"

"And to think, it only took one night of watch duty," the other replied, then turned to Gin. "Well, don't just stand around! We're not going to praise you over one little thing! Get to work hauling this junk out!"

Gin nodded, walking over and tipping a barrel over, rolling it over to the stairs, stopping for a beat and slouching. "Ah, my back!" she grunted, rubbing her spine. "I think I threw it out,"

"Oh for Lord's sake! Move aside you little weakling, we'll take care of it," The other goon sneered, shoving her aside and hoisting up the barrel. "Oof! Geez, this cargo gets heavier every morning…"

"Ah don't be a sissy and keep moving," The first goon scoffed, carrying another barrel.

While they were climbing up the stairs, Gin snuck over to a corner, taking out a lighter and kneeling down, igniting a long fuse. _I sure hope this works,_ she thought, then ran on deck, where she stood by the two barrels, watching the crew work. She then feigned a gasp. "Hey, stowaway!" she shouted, running over to the stairs that led to the cargo-hold.

"I didn't see any stowaway," Dark Crow questioned, walking over with a few other men.

"I swear I saw one sneaking across the deck, they ran down there!"

While Gin was putting on her performance, Puggsy and Brielle poked their heads out of the barrels, ducking back down as she snuck back over.

"Two of you men go down and look around," Dark Crow ordered, then turned to Gin, who leaned against the barrels, hiding her nervousness. "There had better be a stowaway, girl. It’s not a good time for jokes,” With that, he walked away. “Roll those barrels down to the docks, rather than standing around!”

“Yes, sir…” And Gin did just that.

Two of the pirates walked down, looking around. "I don't see anyone… go look behind those crates," the first one said.

* _ssssssssssssssss…*_

"What's that noise?" The second wondered, scratching his head.

"Probably just the engine blowing off some steam," the first one answered, though wasn't so sure himself. "I think Gin was only seeing things. There's no one down here,"

The second looked behind the crates, his eyes widening. "Uh oh."

"What?" the first ran over, his eyes widening next when he saw the fuse… that was leading to a crate that held dynamite! "Gah! Put it out!"

The second ran to do so, but the fuse disappeared behind several more crates, out of reach. The two looked at each other. "Oh, shit!" they both cried, then ran on deck.

"Captain!" The first one cried. "Someone ignited a fuse, and it's heading for the dynamite!"

"What the…?! WELL DO SOMETHING, YOU IDIOTS!" Dark Crow shouted.

"We can't, we lost a trace on the fuse behind the rest of the cargo! She's gonna BLOW!"

"Everyone, abandon ship!" The second one bellowed, and frantically the whole crew ran down the gangplank or leaped over the edge!

Dark Crow looked, seeing that Gin acting much too calm. He raced down, grabbing her arm. "What are you trying to pull?!" he growled.

"Nothing! I didn't do anything!" Gin stammered.

"Liar!" Dark Crow raised a gun, pointing it at her. “Wretched brat, you’ve fouled up for the last---“

*BAM!*

Brielle had popped out of the barrel and socked Dark Crow in the jaw. "Don't just stand there, RUN!" she yelled at Gin, who quickly took her advice. She opened up the top of the other barrel. "Time to go!"

Puggsy climbed out, and they raced off. "I sure hope your plan works this time!" he cried.

"Hey, it was _your_ plan too!"

Dark Crow stood up, taking out his gun and aiming at them---

*KA-BOOM!*

Before he could pull the trigger, the dynamite was set off, and the ship exploded behind him, blasting him forward and sprawling him out on the ground! Smoke billowed high as the ship burned, flaming debris raining around the docks. An alarm blared immediately as the fires spread.

Gin ran alongside Brielle and Puggsy when they came her way. "Where do we go, now?" Brielle asked.

"As clear away from here as possible," Puggsy advised, looking over his shoulder, seeing that Dark Crow was beginning to get his wind back. "Brielle, you get Gin out of here. I’ll distract him!”

“Pugs, no offense, but I think staying behind on a flaming port is a bad idea!” Brielle snapped.

“Just go!” Puggsy shoved them forth into a sprint.

“Thank you--- we’ll be back with help!” Gin promised as they ran ahead.

Once they were around the corner and away from the fire, Brielle stopped. “You go get the cops. I’m going to help Puggsy,” she said quickly, and ran back.

“What! Brielle! You can’t go back in there…!”

“I owe it to him! Now hurry!”

…

Puggsy, meanwhile, looked back at Dark Crow from a stack of crates "Hey, Crow-Brain! Over here!" he called.

" _What?!"_ Dark Crow shouted.

 _The explosion must've rendered him deaf at such a close range,_ he figured, wondering how to irk him without his words… then flipped him the bird while sticking his tongue out.

That got the villain running at him, firing his gun and he narrowly dodged the bullets, running over and around crates, his foe in pursuit. Unfortunately, he didn’t have many places to run, as one side of the port was on fire and other paths led to dead ends; it was also getting hard to see through all the smoke, and he had to cover his mouth not to breathe it in.

*Bang!*

He gasped, jumping back as a bullet hit a crate above his head, turning and seeing Dark Crow approaching him. "Crap," he hissed.

"You blew up my ship, and had my daughter betray me," Dark Crow growled, taking aim at the teen's head. "Since she's not here to face her punishment, you can take her place…"

*CRASH!*

A stack of crates fell on him just then, and Puggsy looked over to see Brielle. "Like I said--- bad idea," she remarked, leaping down in front of him, looking at the crushed villain. "Boy, he's going to be feeling _that_ in the morning,"

"No kidding. Lets hope Gin gets back here with the cops, quick," Puggsy added, leaning against a stack of crates. As soon as he did, a burning stack of crates was growing unsteady, tipping over…

"Look out!" Brielle tackled him out of the way.

"Oof!"

*CRASH!*

They looked over, seeing the fire was spreading fast. "We gotta move,” The blonde gasped.

“No… k-kidding,” Puggsy gripped his chest, all the shock starting to get to him, but he forced himself to calm down. "Let’s go--- agh!” He hissed a bit in pain, feeling that- when Brielle tackled him- his ankle twisted.

Brielle noticed right away. "Give me your arm, I'll help you walk,"

"I'm fine! I've been through worse-"

She sneered. "Worse than the position we’re in right now?!"

"Believe it or not, this is how most of my vacations were spent," He tried walking, straining a bit as he limped.

She rolled her eyes. "You're not getting anywhere fast on a sprained ankle, kid. Let me help you out," Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his arm, draped it around her shoulders, and wrapped her other arm underneath his other arm.

Puggsy sighed but complied, knowing they had to move quick. As they navigated through the smoke and flames, they kept their eyes peeled for any surviving foes, so not to get ambushed again. "…next time, let’s go for a distraction with less fiery effects,”

"Hey, you go big, or you go home.” A flaming helm fell near them, and they increased their pace.

Once they reached the streets, they were relieved to see the police, firemen and a few ambulances had arrived. They looked back down at the docks, seeing that the burning ship had sunk, while some civilians stood on the sidelines, innocent sailors, dock guards, and fishermen amongst them.

An officer stepped over to them, Gin with him. "Here they are, officer. These are the kidnapped teens I told you about," she informed.

"We've had a couple reports filed about you two since yesterday evening," the police officer stated. "You've got a group of friends looking for you uptown. Mind telling me what exactly happened?"

"It's a pretty long story, but we'll give it to you straight." Puggsy replied. "We were on the bridge yesterday afternoon, and this creepo named Keith attacked us and threw us in the bay."

"We managed to reach the shore, but that's when Dark Crow arrived and kidnapped us." Brielle added, then nodded to Gin. "If it wasn't for Gin, here, we wouldn't have gotten out alive. Dark Crow should still be down there, a crate dropped on him."

"Did you say our friends are looking for us?"

"Yes, I can have someone take you to them, if you'd like. Some special agents were called in for your search- claimed you had a horrifying experience with a madman they're after." The officer told them.

Puggsy scoffed. "'Horrifyable' doesn't begin to describe it,"

"I'll be heading to the police department," Gin told them. "There's a lot of matters I need to take care of. Thanks again for your help,"

"Thank _you_ for the help," Brielle said, giving her a hug.

"Those agents I told you about are right over there," The officer told them, pointing them over to a dark-moss-green SUV. "They'll take you back to your friends,"

Waving goodbye to Gin, they walked towards the SUV, Puggsy insisting he was well enough to walk on his own- though Brielle guessed he only said that so not to look like a weakling in front of the agents they were about to meet.

"I suppose your friends contacted my parents already," Brielle guessed, awkwardly.

"Yeah, Kassy's been trying to contact them since we got your message," Puggsy replied. "The gang wanted to meet them, but changed plans when the doctors wanted to pull more tests on me,"

"Tests? What for?"

"My heart. Your pal, Edwin, wasn't a qualified doctor, and got everyone suspicious,"

"Well, he's not a doctor- not by license standards, at least, but he is good with medicine, especially when it comes to hearts." she looked down at the ground. "After you were in surgery for the first 24 hours, the doctors said there wasn't much hope for you, and I panicked and called him, since he said he was going to be in the area last time I contacted him three weeks ago, and he agreed to help out when I told him about the situation."

"If you were so confident that I'd be alright, why did you still leave?"

"I… I didn't think you would. Edwin told me the bullet went clear to your heart after he performed the surgery, and said it was in God's hands afterwards. I was worried you wouldn't make it, and felt guilty… so I just left, figuring I caused enough trouble."

"I think it would've been better if you stuck around…"

She turned to him. "Look, I'm sorry for my mistakes, alright?! Lets just get back to your friends. Where are those agents?"

"You rang?" came a voice, and they turned around… seeing a tall, hansom, familiar face.

"Chance?! What are you still doing here… and why did you dye your hair?" Puggsy questioned.

"I didn't dye my hair," came another voice, and they turned, seeing Chance there.

"What the…?!" Brielle sputtered. She and Puggsy looked back and forth at Chance and Matthew, puzzled. "Matt, please don't tell me you cloned yourself…"

"Not this time. This is my old college-friend, Chance." Matthew replied. "Chance, this is my sister, Brielle."

"And this is Matthew." Chance told Puggsy. "Matt, this is my brother, Pugs."

"I think we've been stuck in that crate too long… I'm starting to get delusional," Puggsy groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Join the club," Brielle added.

"Jump in the car. We'll tell you everything," Matthew told them. He and Chance climbed in the front seat, while Puggsy and Brielle sat in the back. "It all started back in my freshman year in college, when this lunkhead hit me with a Frisbee…"


	20. Exchanging News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent and Keith are ordered to hunt down the werewolves, regardless of circumstances. Meanwhile, Matthew and Chance inform their siblings about The Thorns, stopping at a cafe for breakfast before they return to the rest of the gang.

On the more 'ghetto' side of the city, Vincent and Keith took refuge in a broken-down apartment; they sat at a table where a cell-phone lied in the middle, listening as Marlow contacted them. _"I just received word, Keith, that Dark Crow let that meddler and your backstabbing comrade get away, and has been underhanded by the police,"_ his menacing voice reported. _"I thought you said that you had disposed of them!"_

"Hey, I threw them into the bay, I figured they drowned first." Keith scoffed, crossing his arms. "They would have been dead sooner if _Fondane_ would've just let me kill them two weeks ago,"

" _Ah, yes, Fondane… You haven't been after those werewolves for a few days. Care to explain why?"_

"I'm waiting for the heat to die down," Vincent muttered. "It's not easy keeping to my assignments with my face all over the news, and considering I exposed myself recently, the manhunt has just intensified."

 _"You can worry about the police when they actually feel like a threat to us._ _Now, get back out there, Fondane… especially since you've gotten that Shereba girl involved."_

"I did not know she was a Shereba! I only knew her first name until after a trained her, but by then I learned she had cut ties with her family, and felt that she could be of use to us-"

"Yeah, before the plan blew up in our faces the first time you called her in. I told you to just let me handle it- just sneak into their hotel and slit their throats while they sleep, that's all I suggested. But, nope, you wanted to use that girl to gain their trust, draw them into a sense of security, pull the 'emotional' card-" Keith was criticizing.

" _That's enough, Keith! …Vincent, I want you to dispose of those kids and werewolves the next time you see them, no hesitation this time!"_

"Yes sir," Vincent replied, hanging up the phone. "Lets move out, Keith."

"About time," Keith scoffed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"…and before you know it, smart-mouth here is talking me into letting him join the team," Matthew finished.

"Mom is going to blow her top when she finds out," Puggsy sneered, giving Chance a disapproving look.

"What? Because her youngest son is skipping college to hunt after senile madmen?" Chance nonchalantly questioned with a shrug. "It's not like it's any different than what _you_ do,"

"Actually… you can't contact your family," Matthew told him, and looked in his rearview mirror at Brielle. "Once you become an agent on the Thorn team, you have to cut a few ties unless they're involved. When I ran away, I told my parents about my decision, and they understood and never contacted me again."

"What about me? I'm family!" Brielle spoke up.

"Yeah, well… you got involved with Vincent. I had to keep in touch with you after your lessons ended, in case he ever tried to recruit you."

"You could've _warned_ me about him…"

"I wanted to warn you, but everyone thought that you were an accomplice to him and would possibly lure us into a trap. I knew you weren't, but I couldn't convince anyone else, so I had to keep an eye on you in order to prove it."

"And you _still_ want to join in on this?" Puggsy questioned his brother.

"If it means I can stop the maniacs who are trying to kill my brother and his friends, I'm willing to handle it," Chance replied in a serious tone, then gave him a smirk. "Just don't tell mom,"

"Right. You're the only family member he can contact, Puggsy- but only because you've gotten involved," Matthew pointed out.

"Am I the only one who things all this is messed up?!" Puggsy sputtered.

"No." Brielle bluntly replied.

"Messed up or not, it's the way it is." Matthew stated, then pulled over beside a café. "Lets stop here. I'll call up Kite and tell him I located you, Brielle."

"I'll call up the gang, and tell them you're alright, too." Chance told Puggsy. "You guys look like you could use a bite to eat, anyway. C'mon,"

They climbed out of the vehicle, entering the café. Chance and Matthew stepped outside after placing their orders and contacted their friends, while their siblings sat at the table in silence. "So… your brother seems nice," Brielle said, awkwardly.

"Yeah… yours too." Puggsy responded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Weird that they both look alike, huh?"

"Tell me about it. …Well, I've seen weirder."

"Ditto."

They both sighed. "Lets hope the fiasco is over with… for a while."

"Mm-hmm…" Puggsy rested his face in his arms.

"You alright?"

"Just tired…"

Brielle nodded, understanding. The ordeal they just lived through was enough to drain one's energy, and it was even worse considering his heart-condition…

It amazed her that, from jumping off bridges, being stuck inside a cramped box, handling explosions, nearly getting killed twice in the same minute, and finding out his brother was joining an elite agency (let alone had a twin), he hadn't collapsed earlier! As she looked at him, guilt once again preyed on her mind- she wanted to apologize, go as far as to promise she wouldn't let such havoc fall upon him again and make up for all her mistakes… but after finding out what a tough guy he was, she had a feeling he would tell her not to bother.

 _I want to apologize and make up for what I did to him, but I can't just pour out my feelings like some pathetic sap._ She told herself. _He'd get the wrong message and would probably think I wanted to be his slave or something! I’ll just do my part to take down Vincent, Keith, and anyone else associated with them._

"Zzzzzzz…" came a soft snore, and she noticed he had fallen asleep.

She shook her head. _The poor guy probably had all he could take. Better wake him up, before our food arrives._

Reaching over, she tussled his hair. "Hey, wake up." she whispered.

Puggsy shot up like a rocket. "Agh! Huh?! What?" he gasped, taking deep breaths.

"Relax, Pugs. It's just me,"

He gave her a look. "If it's just you, relaxation ain't happening. What do you want?"

"Just had to wake you- I don't think the waitress would enjoy mopping your drool off the table,"

"I wasn't drooling…" He looked away, wiping his mouth a bit, then turned back to her. "I'm surprised you ain't tired from our grimmified experience,"

"I just prefer to sleep on a bed, not a table, and I don't tire out that easily."

He rolled his eyes. "Bravo, you have stamina. Where's our brothers?"

"Here they come,"

Chance and Matthew walked in, sitting next to their siblings. "Well, you're not going to believe this… but Kite happened to meet your friends, Puggsy." Matthew informed them, grinning. "He's been helping them search for you,"

"I spoke with Fangs, too, Brielle. He said your parents are flying out here soon, ready to take you home the moment they find you." Chance added.

Brielle slouched a bit. "Great," she muttered. _…well, so much for taking down crazy hunters._

“By the way, that Dark Crow guy said something about a guy named Marlow having a base in Ireland,” Puggsy spoke up, recalling what he heard on the ship. “Do you guys know anything about it?”

“No, but we can inform our Dublin agents about it. Thanks for the heads up,” Matthew answered; he looked over, seeing the waitress coming out of the kitchen with their breakfasts. “But for now, let’s eat. You need a lot of coffee if you’re going to be hunting psychopaths!”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

With Kite and the gang, there was a lot of excitement in the air. "Oh thank God they're alright!" Kim exclaimed, practically in tears, after Kite and Fangs told them that Chance and Matthew found Brielle and Puggsy and were bringing them back soon. Without thinking, she hugged Kite. "Thank you so much for your help!"

Kite blushed a bit. "Heh heh… well, it's actually Matt who did the helping…" he responded, awkwardly. He cleared his throat as she pulled away. "They said they were going to meet us here at the hotel in about two hours."

"Ooh, ooh, I can't wait to see Puggsy- The moment I see him, I'm going to hold him tight, no matter HOW many times he snaps at me!" Fangs exclaimed, happy to know his best friend was alright.

"Right- you hold him, and I'll punch." Kasandra quipped. Kim gave her a look. “Kidding, I’m kidding!”

"It's a good thing they escaped, too…" Biff spoke up. "Maybe they can give us a lead on how to catch Vincent,"

"Lets hope so- I want to put my judo skills to use," Kite said with a smirk.

"Hopefully by that time, Brielle's parents will be on their way," Kim added.

"Yeah- the sooner they take her home, the better," Kasandra sneered.


	21. An Unscheduled Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way back to their friends, Puggsy, Brielle, Chance and Matthew end up having some car trouble... and wish that was the least of their problems.

It was safe to say Brielle wasn't looking forward to her reunion with her parents, and it didn't help that Matthew had no contact with them for years, making her wonder how they would react to seeing their only son was around- or if they would even recognize him. Truth be told, she now understood why they never tried to contact him, yet wondered why they would let him get involved in something so dangerous at such a young age.

After they had eaten, they drove down the road, heading back into the city. The drive felt long, considering the traffic- even longer considering Puggsy, Chance and Matthew were arguing about the directions, ending up lost twice now. While the men bickered about which street to take, Brielle looked out the window. "Hey!" she spoke up, quieting them down. "Over there."

She pointed at a street sign that read: 'San Francisco Bay Bridge- 65 miles'.

"The bridge is eastern that way- the hotel is located eight blocks from it, if I remember correctly. Head that way,"

The guys looked at each other. "I told you so," Puggsy told them, and Matthew shoved him back.

"I knew it," Matthew scoffed.

"Is that why you wanted to drive further north?" Chance remarked.

"At least I was heading in the right direction—"

"Yeah, only because I lead you in the right direction-"

"You mean _I_ did," Puggsy huffed, crossing his arms.

"Lets just get there, before-" Matthew began… then the engine sputtered. "Ah, damn it! We're out of gas!"

"I thought you filled it up this morning!" Chance snapped.

"I did, but keep in mind we've been driving all over the city since 2 AM," Matthew sighed, climbing out and grabbing the gas-can from the trunk, then walked over to Chance's window and handed it to him. "Here, go fill this up. There's a gas station two blocks down that way,"

"Why do _I_ have to go? It's your car!"

"Precisely why I'm not going to leave you alone in it,"

Chance rolled his eyes, climbing out. "You owe me."

" _You_ owe me," Matthew looked in the back seat. "You two want to get out and stretch your legs a bit?"

"I'm good," Puggsy replied.

"Same here," Brielle added.

"Alright," Matthew said with a shrug, leaning against the car and stretching.

"For someone who's cautious about his vehicle, he seems to enjoy staying out of it," Puggsy commented, seeing how relaxed Matthew became in seconds, shutting his eyes and enjoying the fresh air it seemed.

"He actually hates driving cars." Brielle told him. "He said he wanted a motorcycle, but ended up with an SUV instead for long trips."

"Ah. Gotcha."

Silence overcame them after that, and it was barely a minute before Brielle began to dose off, her thoughts locked on the consequences she was going to face upon meeting her parents. Puggsy, ironically, didn't dose off this time, despite he had zonked out back in a café just a half hour ago. He stared out the window, seeing they were close to another park, this one located by some sort of abandoned opera house. It was a nice sight, seeing the leaves fall from the trees while a few ducks waded across the pond, and for a moment he forgot about the situation they were in.

Something pressed against his shoulder just then, and he turned, seeing that- during her snooze- Brielle leaned to the side and rested her head on him.

He blinked, looking out to make sure Matthew wasn't looking in- certainly he would get the wrong message and would want to pummel him for putting the moves on his sister, and if Chance found out he would never hear the end of it! He wanted to push her away, though she would probably immediately wake up and freak out as he had done in the café, let alone start another argument.

 _Might as well just let her sleep._ he told himself. _She needs all the rest she can get after what we've been through- and our problems ain't over yet._

He folded his arm on the edge of the window, resting his head on it, figuring he might as well rest too…

Neither of them slept for even two minutes when the song, "Whispers in the Dark" by Skillet came blaring from the stereo, and they snapped awake with a couple yelps.

"Sorry! Forgot I had the volume jacked up!" Matthew told them, now sitting in the front seat, turning the volume down. "Didn't know you two were asleep,"

"Well… we're wide awake now," Brielle remarked, rubbing her ears. "Is Chance back yet?"

Matthew looked down the block. "He should be back any…" he paused just then. "Hold on a minute,"

"What is it?" Puggsy asked, looking out… though Matthew ducked their heads down.

"Wait here, I think I saw someone. Stay low," Matthew got out of the car, looking around.

"Do you see anything?" Brielle asked after a minute or so.

"No, but I'm pretty sure someone's out there,"

*BANG!*

A bullet-hole suddenly appeared in the roof of the car, inches from Matthew's face. "And, I was right! Stay down!" He then took out a gun from his jacket and looked in the direction where the shot at come from, though another shot zinged by from another angle, and he ran to the other side of the car to have more of a shield.

"Shit, where's Chance?" Puggsy gasped, peeking out the back window, but didn't see his brother anywhere.

"Wherever he is, he'd better steer clear of the firing squad," Brielle sputtered, cringing as her brother began to return fire.

Puggsy's door swung open just then, and Matthew poked his head in. "I saw the shooter, he ducked inside an alley, but I couldn't make out his face. I think there's another one somewhere in that parking lot across the street." he told them, flinching when two more shots were fired in their direction, one of them shattering the window. "Pugs, I want you and Brielle to run through the park and get out of here! Go get Chance and find the others!"

Brielle cringed when another bullet shattered the other window. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine- trust me, I've been through worse situations. Just be careful!"

"I will if you will," They climbed out and- keeping low and ducking behind benches, trash cans, trees and other obstacles, ran through the park.

"Hey, Pugs!"

Puggsy paused, looking back at Matthew when he ducked behind a tree.

"Take care of my sister,"

"And you take care of my brother," Puggsy replied, then ran off with Brielle, both of them cutting through the treeline.

People in the streets and park screamed, running for cover, and there was the sound of police sirens. A semi drove by and Matthew ran alongside it, ducking behind another vehicle.

He sniffed the air, and he gritted his teeth… suddenly baring fangs. "Veni-Con-Yei…" he groused, then got in a crouching position.

He saw his shooter race through the park. He got up and pursued, closing in on them within a minute---

*Skish!*

"AGH!" Matthew shouted as Vincent leaped out and plunged a knife into his shoulder, having been lying in-wait. Keith spun around then kicked him upside the jaw, knocking him into a trash-can.

“Matthew ‘Twiggy’ Thorn… I heard a lot about you,” Vincent commented as the two stood before him.

The blonde-brother sneered. “I can say the same… How the hell did you guys find us?!”

“Purely coincidence, we spotted you from across the street as we were passing by--- not that it really matters.” The hunter turned to his comrade. "I'll go after Brielle… you handle this brat," With that, he ran in the direction Puggsy and Brielle had gone.

Keith took out a gun, grinning darkly. "With pleasure… I've always wanted to kill one of Thorn's best agents," he chuckled, cocking it and aiming for Matthew’s head.

*THWACK!*

Before he could stab Matthew, he was struck in the face by a gas-can. "You can't always get what you want," Chance sneered, then splashed the gasoline on Keith!

“Nice comeback,” Matthew grunted, pulling the knife out of his shoulder.

"Augh, my eyes! You son of a bitch!" Keith screamed, lunging blindly with his gun, only to get tripped by Chance as he stepped aside, then was caught in a headlock, his weapon dropped.

Matthew, in the meantime, took out his cell phone. "Kite, we're at the park by 55th Ave., you gotta get here quick- we've got an ambush!" he cried, then hung up, digging in his pocket until he found a lighter.

Keith flipped Chance over his shoulders, then held up his knife. "Get ready to die-" he growled as he gripped his throat.

*POW!*

Chance punched him in the face, then kicked him in the stomach, making him sprawl out on his back. Keith quickly picked up his gun, taking aim. "One more move, and I'll pump you full of lead!" he growled, aiming it at both him and Matthew.

"You're going to shoot me anyway- why should I go down without a fight?" Chance scoffed.

"Good point. Any last words, pretty boys?"

"Yeah. Your shoes on fire," Matthew said, then used his lighter and ignited Keith's shoe… while he was still soaked in gasoline!

*FWOOSH!*

"GAAAHHHHH!" Keith shrieked as he burst into flames, running across the park. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"

Chance quickly rushed to Matthew's aid, helping him over to the SUV where he grabbed a First Aid kit out of the back, tending to his wound. "You owe me for that gas," he quipped.

"Hey, I set a guy on fire for you, we're even." Matthew replied.

*SPLASH!*

They looked, seeing that Keith had jumped into a pond, putting out the fire… then crawled out, charred and burned. "Screw you guys! Just wait until we kill your friends!" he shouted, then ran across the park, stumbling a bit.

Matthew growled, and Chance noticed his eyes were yellow. "C'mon! We've got to go after them!" he snarled.

"In a moment! Your shoulder is gushing with blood," Chance pointed out.

"We don't have a moment! Vincent could kill your brother- he probably already has!"

Chance gave him a dark glare. " _You_ don't know my brother." he bandaged his shoulder. "There, _now_ we can go,"

With that, the two took off to go find their siblings.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Brielle and Puggsy kept running, keeping an eye out for Chance, yet didn't see him anywhere amongst the crowd of panicking citizens. "I don't see him anywhere," Puggsy said, breathing heavily as they paused for a beat. "I swear to God, if those creeps did anything to my little brother…"

Brielle gripped his arm just then. "Bad news: we've got company!" she gasped, pointing across the field, where Vincent was ducking behind a tree.

"Jumping ignorpotomases, why can’t this guy flee the other country like other wanted men?!" The raven-haired teen grabbed the blonde’s hand, running towards the old building. "C'mon, we're going to have to lose him in here!"

As they ran through the park, avoiding gunshots Vincent fired at them, the pain in Puggsy's chest increased and he stumbled a bit. _Ignore it, don't let it slow you down!_ he told himself, forcing himself to keep up the pace. He and Brielle soon reached the building, running around the corner until they came across a rusty fire escape, seeing an open window at the top.

He pushed her forward. "You first,"

Brielle climbed up, the ladder wobbling and she kept her grip tight until she reached the top. She looked over the edge at Puggsy, who was climbing, then over where she saw Vincent closing in. "Hurry!" she cried

"What else can I do? …agh!" he gripped his chest, the pain growing severe. A bar he stood on busted just then, and he was left hanging by one hand. "Whoa!"

"Puggsy!" Brielle leaned over, trying to reach for his hand. He quickly swung his free hand up and grabbed hold of it, and she pulled him up.

Unfortunately, Vincent had reached them, standing at the end of the alley and taking aim. "You two were better off stuck on that ship," he remarked, grinning darkly. "Farewell you meddling-"

There was a snarl just then, and a large, muscular, black-furred werewolf with a blonde mane attacked the hunter, tackling him to the ground and ripping the gun out of his hands. Their foe cried out, then took out his knife, slicing the werewolf on the arm, making it howl out in pain, though it smacked him hard enough to make him slam into the wall.

"Where'd that wolf come from?!" Puggsy exclaimed, surprised at seeing another werewolf.

"Hey, I'm just glad it came here- c'mon, while Vincent's busy!" Brielle told him, and they climbed through the window, entering the abandoned building.

It appeared to be an old auditorium, as they walked across a balcony, crouching low behind some seats to catch their breath. Puggsy had a grip on his chest, his heart aching with every beat, much to Brielle's concern. "You stay here," she whispered to him. "I'll go scout ahead,"

He grabbed her wrist as she stood up. "Oh no you don't…" he said between breaths. "You've already… gotten yourself… in enough trouble… as it is. *huff huff* _I'll_ go scout ahead!"

"You're on the verge of a heart-attack! …And I'm not the only one who got myself in trouble. You weren't supposed to leave the hospital- you took off and left your friends behind, even though you knew about your condition!"

"I do NOT *pant pant* have a condition! And you have no right to talk- you ran away from home… you ran away from us… and you've got a scar on your neck that *gasp* could re-open at any second!"

"I ran away to keep you guys safe- you're the one who decided to get involved, you dumbass. Stay put for once, before you get shot again," She stood up-

He gripped her arm tightly. "I ain't staying behind. You think you can handle this kind of saturation but… you can't, Brielle!” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down enough so he could speak clearly. “You don't think things through, you put your life on the line too much, and you find more trouble than you find help! I may have screwed up the past couple days by leaving my friends, but that doesn't mean I'm going to try and find them, and let them help me out! Unlike you, I actually THINK about the mistakes I've made and try to fix them!"

" _You think I never thought about my mistakes?!"_ Brielle yelled so loudly, a few pigeons in the rafters scattered. "I've been trying to make up for them since the moment you ended up in the hospital, struggling for your life! I didn't want any of you involved because I didn't want anyone else getting hurt- I knew it was going to be dangerous, even suicidal, but I was still going to risk it because it was my fault. I just wanted to lift this guilt, and make it up to you guys."

"By nearly getting yourself killed?"

"I'm not afraid to die… I'm afraid of getting others killed." She winced. "Please, just let go. I want to make sure nothing else happens to you,"

Puggsy gave her a look, but loosened his grip, grabbing onto her hand. "Well, Brie, I appreciate the offer, but I don't need looking after. …Besides, I told your brother I'd look after you. Whether you like it or not, we’re in this together--- the most we can do is actually work with each other," he looked down at the stairway. "We'll scout ahead together, alright? There's safety in numbers."

Brielle let out a sigh but nodded, and they advanced down the stairs. It grew dark, and she gripped his hand as a stair creaked. They made it to the bottom, and they looked around the dark room, making out the shape of an old stage, cardboard props collecting dust against the walls, a musty floor with chipped paint, and hundreds of cobwebs all over the place. It was the silence that was the most startling though… and they realized it was _too_ quiet.

"I don't hear Vincent or that werewolf outside anymore." The blonde whispered.

"I noticed that… which means one of them is probably dead, and the other is looking for us," The raven-haired teen replied, keeping a firm grip on her hand. "There's got to be an exit around here, somewhere… we can sneakify out and go find our brothers, and get to the others before some other calamity happens,"

*Thud!*

A stack of backdrops tipped over, startling them both. They looked around the shadows, trying to make out any other figures. Puggsy looked over, seeing a shadow cross over a spot of light that shined through a window, and he pulled Brielle towards the stage, hiding behind the curtains. They heard footsteps just then, coming their way. Brielle tapped Puggsy's shoulder, pointing over at an old 'Exit' sign hanging diagonally over a doorway, and he nodded. Quietly as they could, they lightly stepped across the stage towards their escape.

A floorboard creaked under their weight just then, and suddenly someone stepped through the curtains…

The floorboards groaned, then crackled…

*Crash!*


	22. Down for the Count

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After surviving a fall, Brielle helps Chance carry out an unconscious Puggsy to safety... which lasts about two minutes.

Puggsy and Brielle cried out as they fell through the worn-out stage, landing ten feet underground on an old mattress, rolling off as dust shot into the air after their impact.

Brielle sat up, looking around. "Puggsy?" she whispered, and saw that he had landed next to her. Crawling over, she turned him on his back… he wasn't moving. "Oh no…"

"Guys! Are you alright?" came a voice, and she looked up, seeing Chance looking down through the hole, and it was easy to figure out he was the one looking for them in the dark.

"Puggsy's not moving!"

"Shit- hold on! I'll be on my way down! Stay with him!"

 _What else can I do?_ she thought critically, then leaned over Puggsy, lying her ear to his chest, thinking the worse…

_*ba-bump… ba-bump… ba-bump*_

She sighed with relief, hearing the slow beating of his heart. _Maybe he's right- his heart is fine._ she thought, yet couldn't quite believe it. Every time they were on the run, or went through a near-death experience, or those times she got on his nerves, he would be in pain. Yet why, after they had experienced so much shock, did his heart keep on beating?

She thought to the day they had spent together when they first met, the stories he told her about facing every kind of danger imaginable… not to mention, had a werewolf for a best friend who liked to eat him. And during the past two weeks, he had survived being shot (a second time), leaped off a bridge a thousand feet high into freezing water, outwitted a band of pirates, and was now on the run from a homicidal hunter.

 _Maybe, since he's had so many thrills his entire life, his heart can handle it._ Brielle figured, helping him sit up, his head limply lying against her shoulder. As she tried to sit it up, she felt a bump on the side, figuring he must have hit his head after their fall. _If I were in his position… I would've been dead days ago._

"You're right, I do keep finding trouble," she whispered to him. "I thought I had enough experience, after traveling on my own for so many years- learning new things after traveling to museums and landmarks, making a good friend here and there… I even took some cooking classes, and often looked around for an apartment. I managed to afford it all, because- before I left- I took some at least half a million dollars out of my family's account. My father gave me special bank cards so that whenever I went shopping I could take out some money. I was, ah, kind of spoiled…”

She looked down at him, hoping that- perhaps by talking to him- she could draw him out of his state of unconsciousness, as if her words could make their way to his subconscious and guide his mind back to reality.

"I planned on paying my parents back, once I found my own job and settled down somewhere. I actually wanted to get into photography and make my own magazine- nothing sleazy like those gossip magazines or cozy home-keeping pamphlets. I figured, with all my traveling, I could interview different people who traveled the world, explored new areas, and things like that, and let them share their own stories. …If I manage to, maybe I could write a few issues about you and your friends- if you guys aren't pissed about all the trouble I've caused."

She heard footsteps just then, and looked over, making out a shape in the dark. "Sorry it took so long, I had to find the stairs." Chance whispered. "They’re right over here,”

"Alright. Can you help me carry your brother?”

"No problem."

Each of them grabbed an arm underneath Puggsy’s armpits, keeping a hold on him as they carefully and quietly hauled him up the stairs; thankfully, they were not too steep and were still in stable condition.

"You must be pretty strong, you’re supporting most of his weight!” Chance quietly commented, a bit impressed.

"Dude, I had to hang on to him while we were dangling over the edge of a bridge, and let him step on me as he climbed up to stable ground. I think I can handle helping drag him up some stairs,” Brielle lightly chuckled.

Chance huffed, astonished. “Wow, you guys have had one hell of a weekend,” Within moments, they were back on solid ground, and right near the exit. The younger brother knelt down and lifted up Puggsy, carrying him out the door as Brielle held it open. “I can carry him the rest of the way, we gotta find your brother.”

"Where have you been, by the way?" Brielle asked as they made their way around the corner, back through the park. "We were looking for you before Vincent showed up,"

"I was with Matthew, helping him get rid of Keith… the creep managed to get away after jumping into the pond to extinguish the flames,"

Her eyes widened, and she had to laugh a bit. "You set him on fire?! Man, I wish I could have seen that, must've been hilarious."

"Oh, sure, REAL funny!" came a snap, and Keith stepped in front of them, holding his knife. "You know what'll be even funnier? Your bodies rotting six feet underground! …And I see your little secret-agent friend isn't around. That's a shame- but I suppose disposing of you bastards will be satisfying enough," He lunged-

Brielle intercepted, shooting her elbow up and blocking his arm has he stabbed down, then kicked him in the groin as hard as she could. It was enough to cause Keith to drop his knife (as well as utter a high-pitched whimper) and hunch over, and she took the opportunity to kick him in the face, knocking him into a light-post. When he leaned forward, she punched him in the face, his nose leaking blood, then grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into a wall.

"You should really see this!" Chance exclaimed to his unconscious brother, amazed.

Keith, however, wasn't down for the count yet. "You think you can beat me so easily?" he growled, grabbing her by the arm and flipping/slamming her onto the ground, then grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back up, then punched her in the face, giving her a black eye.

Chance set Puggsy off to the side, running at Keith, then punched him in the face before catching him in a choke-hold. "Didn't your parents tell you to never hit a lady?"

"Yeah… but I'm going to hit you anyway!" Keith bit down on his arm, making him cry out as he pried out of his grip, then struck him across the face, then leaped and air-kicked him in the side of the head, making him slam into the wall.

Brielle then tackled Keith from behind, trying to catch him in a choke-hold, but he rolled over onto his stomach, climbed back onto his feet, and slammed her into the wall hard enough to knock the air out of her, then spun around and gripped her by the throat, strangling her. She kicked him in the crotch once more, then in the stomach, grabbing him by the head and swinging her left leg behind his, making them buckle and fall back, but he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her down with him, and they were at each other's throats, rolling around and trying to pin the other. When Keith was back on top, he held her head down as he managed to reclaim his knife next to them, and sliced off her bandages.

"Hope you like that scar… because you're about to get a matching set!" he raised his knife and stabbed downward.

“GET OFF MY SISTER, YOU SICK FUCK!”

He looked over. “Wh---“

Keith was yanked off Brielle just then, and Matthew decked him, grabbing him by the jacket and swinging him into the wall with incredible force, knocking him out. He turned to his sister, breathing heavily- and she noticed his shoulder was bandaged, yet he sported some fresh bruises and scrapes on his face and abdomen. "Where have you been? You missed half the fun," Brielle remarked.

"I came across Vincent in an alley… he had a bit of trouble with a werewolf." Matthew replied, and appeared to be wincing, his eyes red. "Used pepper-spray on the wolf and took off running- apparently, he was out of ammo and was forced to make a break for it. I was going to go after him, but heard your scramble going on,"

Brielle nodded, standing up as they looked at Puggsy and Chance, the two brothers on the ground, still unconscious, then at the bruised and bloodied Keith, who groaned but did not get up. "Well… things can only improve from here,"

"You'd better hope so… because you're still in a world of trouble," came a voice with a southern drawl, and they spun around…

Seeing Biff, Kim, Kasandra, Fangs, and Kite standing there.


	23. Rebuked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After surviving insane hunters, Brielle finally faces the next challenge: Puggsy's friends lashing out at her.

"Nice job, Twiggy. You managed to bring down Keith- why does he smell like a burnt fish, though?" Kite stated to Matthew, arching an eyebrow.

"Hossy and I set him on fire, and he jumped in the pond. Brielle did a number on him after that," Matthew replied with a modest shrug.

"Twiggy?" Brielle questioned.

"Hossy?" Kim added.

"Those are their nicknames for each other- ‘Hossy’ is pretty much a male-version of ‘hussy’ as far as I know, while Twiggy actually got his from a 'spell' mishap… it's a long story." Kite explained, somewhat, then grabbed Keith, stripping him of his weapons and slapping a pair of handcuffs on him.

"How'd you guys get here so quick, anyhow? It's normally an hour-long drive," Matthew replied.

"We got a police escort- and broke the speed-limit by a good 100 miles,"

"I've never felt so car-sick in my life…" Fangs moaned, still feeling dizzy.

"Heh, you should see it when Kitefang drives,"

“Is Puggsy alright?” Biff asked, kneeling beside him.

“We fell through a stage and he bumped his head, other than that… he’s survived quite a lot,” Brielle said with an exasperated sigh.

“We checked him out. He should be fine once he wakes up,” Matthew assured.

“He’d _better_ be,” Fangs muttered, giving Brielle a glare.

Matthew grabbed Chance, folding his arm around his shoulders and supporting him underneath his other arm, then turned to Brielle and Kasandra. "Well, I suppose you two have got a few things to wrap up, so we'll take care of things here." he told them. "We'll be nearby, though- Vincent may be back after a while."

Kasandra nodded. "…I'll tell your parents you said 'hi'," she said, and Brielle gave her a wide-eyed look that she would say such a thing. Didn’t she know…?

Matthew paused, giving their cousin a look. "Don't bother."

"Thanks again for your help- if you guys need anything, feel free to contact us. We've got an agent everywhere." Kite assured, handing Kim a card with his number on it as he gave her a wink. He then walked off with Matthew, dragging Keith behind him.

They waved them farewell, then Brielle faced the gang, as Biff and Fangs walked over and lifted up Puggsy by the arms, and Kim and Kasandra gave her cold looks. "C'mon, 'cousin'… we need to talk," Kasandra said, sharply.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The drive back to the hotel was filled with silence. Brielle sat in the middle of the backseat between Kasandra and Fangs- who sat close to Puggsy, giving Brielle a glare every time she looked over at the unconscious teen. Biff and Kim were the only ones who spoke to her, asking what all had happened, yet their tones made it perfectly clear that she had dragged their friend into danger, despite his heart condition. After she had told them everything, they scolded her for running off, and ended the conversation there… and she figured their statements were the 'softer' kinds, considering- after seeing the furious look that remained in Kasandra and Fangs' eyes- she was going to be in for a rough ride.

They made it to the hotel at last, and Biff carried Puggsy to the room he and Kim shared, that linked to Fangs and Kasandra's, and the lanky teen followed them in, wanting to make sure his best buddy was going to be alright… let alone knew that Kasandra wanted to chew out Brielle in private.

"First of all, you should have told us about Vincent sooner, especially after knowing he was hunting a member of your own family," Kasandra did not hesitate to scold. "Second, you shouldn't have run off on your own like some coward!"

"First, I couldn't just tell you about Vincent without you guys ganging up on me, and I tried to shake him off your backs!" Brielle retorted, sharply. "Second, I didn't run off on my own, I was with Matthew, and I was going to meet Kite- I happen to have contact with trustworthy people, not just homicidal maniacs!"

"Why didn't you stick with Matthew, then, until Kite came along? And furthermore, how could you let Puggsy get involved after seeing the condition he was in?"

"Matthew couldn’t because of our family angle. I only asked for his help because he had contacts, he set me up to rendezvous with Kite, and to keep in touch in case anything else happened. As for Puggsy, I didn't know about his heart-condition until after we fell off the bridge- I thought you guys had split up to search for me, until I figured out he took off on his own! And I didn't want him involved in the first place- I didn't want any of you involved! That's why I ran away- to keep you guys out of trouble while I went to get back at Vincent for you!"

"'Get back at Vincent'? What, do you think this is some sort of game?! We've been involved before he even called you out here, you dipstick! And if you wanted to help, you should have just faced us and-"

"And given you info on how to catch Vincent and everything', Puggsy already read me that riot act several times! I've learned my mistake, and I'm willing to help out-"

"I don't think so.” Kasandra gave her a cold look. “You've done enough damage already- I'm not sure I can even trust you after the mess you've made! Running off, having Puggsy run off with you, both of you getting kidnapped, and beaten… You're not going to be any help to us the way you've acted! Lord above… Puggsy's got the worse of it- you're lucky he's still alive! The sooner your parents get here, the better!" With that, she stormed out onto the balcony.

Brielle could only glare. She knew her cousin couldn't trust her… but she didn't even give her a chance to help and make things right. She wanted to go out onto the balcony and try to reason, but dismissed the idea- after the stunts she's pulled, no one would want to listen to her. She sat on the bed, her hang hanging low, just wanting to sit in silence.

…

In the other room, Fangs sat beside Puggsy, while Biff took off his jacket to examine his abdomen, then studied his heart-beats and pulse. "Everything seems to be okay. He's still in bad shape, though," The leader noted. "We may have to take him back to the hospital. He might have a concussion from that bump on his head, his stitches might need replaced and sterilized after falling into the bay, and his breathing is still a little unsteady."

"Poor Puggsy… it's a miracle he's still alive," Kim said quietly.

Fangs stood up, looking at his friend once more, then walked towards the door. "I'll be right back," he stated, bitterness on his tone.

He felt rage towards Brielle, wanting to chew her out- just for causing all the trouble that led to Puggsy's condition. Granted, the loudmouth had ran off on his own… but if that girl had just warned them about Vincent in the first place, none of this would have happened. What made it worse was how the teen-wolf promised to look after his best friend, yet after being around Brielle, he once again fell into danger and would be taken back to the hospital, probably hooked back up to more tubes and forced to go through more tests and surgery…

All because of her.

He entered the room, seeing that Kasandra was out on the balcony and Brielle was on the bed, looking down at the ground. "Alright, Brielle, I want to talk to y-" he began to snap.

" _For the love of God, how many times do I have to get chewed out?!"_ Brielle shouted at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm _sorry_ , alright?! I'm sorry I screwed up! I didn't know Vincent was a dangerous man until it was too late! I tried to shake him for you, to make up for what I did! I didn't want anyone else to get hurt- I was willing to sacrifice my own life just to make up for what I did to Puggsy! I knew how bad he was hurt, I could tell how severe his pain became with every situation we were in, and wanted him to stay behind somewhere just so it wouldn't get worse, but he kept following me! He wanted to make sure I stayed out of trouble… because I'm always getting into trouble, even when I'm trying to do the right thing… o-or think I am! The whole reason I took off to go after Vincent on my own was because of him- he got shot because of me, and I knew that, if he died, I could never forgive myself, and wanted that hunter bastard to pay for it! I know I keep making mistakes, and because of it he could have died, so you don't have to remind me!… I'm sorry already, alright?! I've always been sorry! Just _lay off_ already!"

After that, she broke down in sobs.

Fangs could only stand there frozen, his finger still raised though it limply fell, and he blinked.

Kasandra, hearing Brielle snapping, walked into the room, giving her a look. "Despite all that, you're still…" she began to say.

"Oh for crying out loud, guys, back off already! She's said her apology, just accept it and give her a break!"

They turned, seeing Puggsy standing in the doorway, pulling on a new shirt and placing his fedora back on his head, walking over and standing beside Brielle.


	24. Easing the Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Puggsy feels recovered, the teens make plans to spend the day recuperating from their ordeals.

"Puggsy- you're alright!" Fangs exclaimed.

"'Course I am, I've been through worser. …Geez, guys, what's gotten into you? Normally I'm the one who holds a grudge, and I managed to forgive her before you did!" he looked at Brielle, smirking. "And they call _me_ a hot-head,"

"But she-"

"I know what she did- she made a mistake, but learned from it. She's agreed to stick with us until we've captivated Vincent…Which shouldn't be hard, since the last time we saw him, he was getting mangled by a werewolf."

"Remind me to thank whoever it was, if we ever come across them." Kasandra said, then turned to Brielle and sighed. "I suppose I should apologize for blowing up at you. It's just… knowing my own cousin was in cahoots with Vincent, and one of my friends getting shot, and you disappearing- sheesh, I thought you were still working with him!"

"If I was, you'd think I'd be sporting _this_ 'beauty mark'?" Brielle tilted her head, showing the scar on her neck. "Perfect proof that I betrayed Vincent… and STILL lived, heh heh."

"You think that's impressive? How about this?" Puggsy scoffed, holding his shirt up and undoing his bandages, showing the scar over his heart, right next to his other scar. "Try surviving a bullet to the heart,"

"Ouch," Fangs gasped, observing the scar.

"Alright, you two, this isn't a competition on who got it worse," Kasandra scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"…if it was, I won." Puggsy remarked, tucking his shirt back in.

Brielle rolled her eyes. "Congratulations, you got maimed. Here's your award," she quipped, holding up an imaginary trophy.

"So… want to give us the details about how you escaped?" Fangs asked, eagerly. "I heard about the explosion down at the bay,"

Brielle shrugged. "Yeah… it was my idea. We needed a good distraction. Though we wouldn't have gotten far without Gin,"

"Gin?" Kasandra asked.

"Apparently, she was Dark Crow's daughter- aka, the bastard who kidnappified us." Puggsy answered. "She's at the police station- they're going to pull up her records, then she's going to try to start a new life, I suppose."

"And I noticed you guys met Kite, too." Brielle added.

"Yeah, he's a pretty cool kid and- watch your heart-rate Puggsy- he's a werewolf too!" Fangs exclaimed.

"Seriously? San Francisco must be the weird-wolf capital of the states!" Puggsy commented.

"Well, I don't find it surprising- most of the Thorn's best agents are werewolves," Brielle told him.

"Yeah… he also said something about your family, the Sherebas- apparently, they must be really important." Kasandra brought up. "Any ideas on why?"

Brielle shook her head. "I wouldn't know… my parents always kept me in the dark about everything, just kept me at home and didn't let me go anywhere on my own."

"Why not?" Fangs asked.

"I was sick when I was born. They kept an eye on me at all times, and didn't think I was capable of doing anything on my own and always had it done for me- didn't let me make my own friends at school, or look for a job after I turned 14… heck, I couldn’t even go outside without an escort! I kept trying to tell them I could handle myself and they should at least give me a chance, but they wouldn't hear of it."

"I can understand they'd be protective of you after your birth… but not so much to just keep you locked up. Parents need to let their kids get out on their own and learn things," Kasandra replied.

"Yeah… and considerating the Thorns find them to be a big deal, I think they might be hiding something," Puggsy surmised, rubbing his chin.

"Would be great if we knew what," Brielle muttered.

"Maybe we can get some answers once they get here," Fangs suggested.

" _If_ they're willing to talk. If they broke ties with Kassy's family, had no contact with Matthew, and keep their daughter locked up for reasons unknown, I doubt they'd say anything to a bunch of strangers," Puggsy replied.

"I think, after the experience we've had, they'd be willing to give us answers- keeping us in the dark won't help us handle this matter." Kasandra pointed out. "And if they start to hesitate, we'll just have to be more persuasive,"

"Persuasion isn't going to do it.” Brielle scoffed. “I spent three years trying to get them to tell me everything, yet they kept saying 'there's nothing wrong' and how I was 'too young to do things on my own' and shit like that. If you strapped them to chairs, turned into werewolves, and threatened them, they still wouldn't say anything! They’ll just tell you guys to go home, and I’ll be chaperoned for the rest of my life.”

"Boy, they're going to be hard to crack," Fangs commented, scratching the side of his face. "You'd have to be a mind-reader to get answers out of them,"

"We're still going to try. If they care about their families at all, they'll have to cooperate," Kasandra said, sternly.

Biff and Kim walked into the room just then. "Pugs, your mom just called. She's worried sick about you- again," Kim told him, holding up her cell phone. “…Brace yourself.”

Puggsy took the phone. "Hello?" he said.

" _What were you thinking running off after getting shot, are you insane?! And what's this I hear about you falling off bridges and getting kidnapped?! What have you've been getting yourself into?!"_ Came Barbara's voice, loud enough for everyone to hear… without it being on speaker-phone.

Puggsy covered the mouth-piece. "I… need to take this outside," he then stepped out onto the balcony.

"I'd better call my parents too, and fill them in on everything," Kasandra said, taking out her cell phone and walking into the bathroom.

"Ooh, ooh, I'm going to call Sam and tell her everything's alright," Fangs added, taking out his cell phone… and holding it up at different angles. "I really need to get a phone with better service."

"I'm going to call up Stutz, and tell him and Luca to keep an eye out for Vincent, just in case." Biff agreed, walking into his room with his cell phone.

Brielle looked at the four teens on cell phones, blinking. "Apparently, we're the only ones who don't have to make a call." she said to Kim.

"Yeah, though I should call up Kite and see how Chance and Matthew are doing," Kim replied, then looked at Brielle. "I also want to be the first to say thank you,"

She arched an eyebrow. "For what?"

She smiled. "For sticking by Puggsy's side the past two days, and helping each other out."

"Eh, don't thank me too much. I didn't have much of a choice- we were stuck inside a crate together, and I couldn’t let him stay behind and get his ass kicked. He wouldn’t let me scout ahead either, which I don’t really blame him for. …I mean, this whole mess _is_ my fault."

"Not entirely- Vincent dragged you into it and deceived you. You didn't tell us about him when you first met us, but still told us the truth,"

"Yeah- AFTER Puggsy ended up in the hospital,"

"Not really…" Fangs confessed, from across the room, texting his sister. "Puggsy told us what happened after he woke up, and said you told him everything first, after you tried to lead Vincent away. ...We still wish you would have stuck around, but at least you're here now, so it's okay."

Brielle nodded, smiling a bit. "Thanks… Trust me guys, next time I'll be more help." she slouched a bit. "…that is, if there'll BE a next time…"

Puggsy walked back in just then. "Yes, Mom, I'll be home in a couple days- yes I promise. …(sigh) Tell Toni she can't have my computer," he said, rolling his eyes. "Love you too. See ya." He then hung up, turning to his friends. "Boy, am I going to be in hot water when I get home,"

"You think that's bad, just wait until MY parents show up. …When are they going to be here, anyway?"

"They were flying in from Florida, but their flight got delayed in a storm. They might be here tomorrow," Kim replied.

The blonde sighed. "So I've only got just a little freedom left…"

"Well… since Vincent is probably still massacrated, Keith is out of commission, and we're all still alive, why not make the most of it?" Puggsy suggested. "We've had a rough trip, I think it's time we all relaxed,"

"I like that plan," Fangs agreed with a grin.

"I'll talk to Biff about it," Kim said with a nod, going into the other room.

Kasandra walked out. "Well, Brie, believe it or not, my parents actually took _your_ side," she told her, chuckling. "They said that, the way your parents acted, they weren't surprised you ran away- they were shocked that you were with Vincent, but they're just relieved you chose the right side and are alright. They even said that, if you ever wanted to run away again, they'd let you live with 'em!”

Brielle snickered. "I kind of wish I could,” she replied.

"We're all planning on spending the evening going out and having fun, sound good to you?" Fangs asked his girlfriend, putting his arm around her.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Sounds good as long as I'm with you, babe," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Puggsy grimaced, and Brielle leaned over to him. "I'm bringing a bucket of cold water along if they get all lovey-dovey," she whispered, and he had to stifle a snicker.

“We heard that!” The wolf-couple retorted.

“Well, c’mon guys! We’ve already been to the hospital--- you trying to get us sick and send us back?”

“We’ll send ya back one way or the other, if ya’ll keep poking fun at our relationship,” Kasandra warned.

“The ICU sounds better than being in a rom-com,”

“Couldn’t agree more. Let’s go get Biff and Kim,” Puggsy added, and they walked out.

Fangs and Kasandra looked at each other. “…Great. There’s TWO of them now,” the lanky teen deadpanned.


	25. An Evening of Leisure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teens decide to relax and spend time at the mall. The werewolves consider Puggsy's feelings about their relationship a little more, and then wonder if having Brielle stay with them would resolve the problem. Meanwhile, the runaway herself dreads the following day as it slowly approaches.

One of the first things Biff wanted to do was take Puggsy by the hospital; however the doctor who had examined him was in surgery, and claimed he would not be able to examine the teen until the next day. After making an appointment, the gang decided to go to the mall, hanging out around the food-court. "By the way, what's Martin been up to?" Brielle asked Kasandra as they ate.

"He's going to college with Fangs' sister, Sam." Kasandra replied, grinning. "They're going out, too."

"And I'm still uneasy about it," Fangs muttered. "No offense, Kassy, I trust your brother and all, but my brotherly-instinct keeps kicking in,"

Kasandra chuckled. "It's alright, Fangs- my dad feels the same way towards you,"

The lanky teen paled a bit, and the others had to chuckle a bit.

"What about the rest of you guys? What are your families like?" Brielle asked Biff, Kim, and Puggsy.

"I have a younger sister and brother," Biff replied. "Shane just likes to hang out in his room playing videogames or riding his bike around the neighborhood, and started middle school; and Laura is a Junior in high-school, and has been begging me to let her come on our trips- mom says not until after she graduates,"

"I don't have any siblings, but my dad is a retired army sergeant and my mom has her own cooking class. They call me every week just to make sure I'm alright," Kim told her. "One time my dad called the Red Cross when I didn't call for two weeks!"

"My parents want me to call every other day, and my dad keeps newspaper articles of us pinned to the wall at the police station- he's the chief of police in our hometown." Puggsy added. "You've already met Chance- then there's my cousin, Toni. You'll be lucky if you never have to meet her. She tends to be a pain in the neck."

"She must get it from you," Brielle quipped.

Puggsy rolled his eyes. "Ha ha, haven't heard THAT before…"

"What about you, Brie? What all did you do before you ran away?" Fangs asked.

The blonde shrugged. "Just hung around the mansion, going shopping with my mom, looking for stuff to do…" she replied.

The lanky teen’s eyes widened. "Mansion? Are your parents rich?" Puggsy roughly nudged him. "Ow! What?"

"Yeah… though it's not like the mansion you'd see on _The Fresh Price of Bel-Air_. It's more of a two-story house, though my parents added on to it since we moved there, and expanded the yard, built a brick wall with a gate around it, gravel drive-way… classy stuff like that."

Fangs let out a descending whistle. "Think your parents have a room for rent?"

"Shut up and eat your fries, pinhead." Puggsy sneered, giving his best friend a glare.

"What? I was only joking,"

"I think he's trying to say it's not a good time to have Brielle bring up her home," Kasandra whispered to him.

"Oh…"

"Anyone feel like walking around?" Kim suggested.

"Sure," Biff replied, and the others agreed.

They walked around the mall, and after a couple minutes Fangs and Kasandra passed a store that sold Native American jewels, decorations, and other items. "Oh, I love this stuff!" The wolf-girl gasped with delight. "Let’s go browse around!"

"You guys go ahead, I'm going to head in the book store- Laura's birthday is coming up, and she loves to read," Biff said.

"I'll go in with you. I want to find a new book too," Kim added, following him inside.

Brielle looked at Biff and Kim, then turned to Puggsy. "Hey… are they going out?" she asked, quietly.

Puggsy thought about it, remembering how Kim had scolded him when he brought it up. "Nah, I think they're just close," he whispered. "If they were, though, I think they're denying it."

The blonde nodded. "So… where do you want to go?"

The raven-haired teen looked around, before his eyes fell upon a familiar location; he looked at her and smirked. "…Arcade?"

She grinned. "Perfect."

They walked back to the arcade. It was nearly empty save for a couple younger teenagers, and they browsed around until they came to the Dance Dance Revolution machine. "Hey, my old score is still up," she pointed out, then gave Puggsy a sly look. "Think you can beat it?"

Puggsy shook his head, rolling his eyes. "No thanks. I ain't stepping on another DDR machine," he scoffed.

"Why? Worried you'll fall on your ass again?"

He sneered. "No, I just don't want to look like an idiot again,"

"…in other words, falling on your ass- and unable to beat my score,"

Puggsy crossed his arms. "If you're trying to persuade me to get on that thing, it ain't happening."

"Alright, if you say so… _can't-beat-my-score_."

"That's it!" The raven-haired teen stepped on, putting in his quarters. "I'll show you…"

"They've got songs for the difficult level. Think you can handle it?"

"Compared to what I've gone through- no problem. I pick the song, though,"

She shrugged. "Be my guest."

Puggsy browsed through the songs, until he found one that might not give him a headache: "Runaway" by DJ Dynasty and DJ Photik.

Brielle arched an eyebrow. "Are you trying to crack a joke or something?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just dance."

She scoffed. "Don't roll your eyes so much, they might fall out of your head,"

The song started, and they stepped on the arrows to try and match them up on the screen, until they started to move with the rhythm. As the numbers got higher, the beat picked up.

Puggsy looked over at Brielle every few seconds, grinning a bit- it was like they were reliving the first day they spent together, the trouble from the past few days feeling like only a dream, that they were just continuing hanging out...

"Hey, you've almost got the score beat!" She exclaimed. "And you haven't landed on your ass yet,"

"Don't psych me out, Shereba- and do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" He retorted.

Suddenly the game shut down, the score only three digits from being beat. "What the…?!" They both cried.

The manager walked over just then. "Ah, this game's always shorting out. We're having it repaired next week," he said, unplugging it and placing an 'Out Of Order' sign on it. "Sorry, kids."

Puggsy and Brielle stepped off the machine, shrugging…

…noticing Fangs, Kasandra, Biff, and Kim standing there- Fangs holding up his cell phone. "Boy, Sam will never believe this!" he chuckled.

Puggsy clenched his fists, ready to pummel him, though Brielle stepped in front. "Yeah, good thing you've got proof that Puggsy's got more skills than you ever will, pin-head." she retorted.

Fangs sneered. "Oh yeah? I bet I could beat the high score on that game with my eyes closed!"

"Well, too bad it's shut down, so you'll never get to try." she nudged Puggsy. "C'mon, lets blow this joint,"

She shoved past Fangs, the raven-haired teen following. "I think she's been stuck in a crate too long with him," Kasandra scoffed.

"Ah, don't worry about them, Kassy. They're just jealous that-" Fangs began to say, but paused, feeling his pocket. "Where's my phone?"

As Puggsy and Brielle walked out, the blonde held up the phone and deleted the video Fangs took of them, both of them smirking.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In the center of the mall, there was an outdoor park area, with a small pool with double-fountains at each end, and a small stone bridge that lead over it; a mosaic-pattern walkway that lead through some flowerbeds; and a tall tree with a bench sitting underneath it. The sun had set into the sky already, and the stars came out, making the scenery look twice as beautiful.

Fangs and Kasandra walked down the path, holding hands and looking around; Puggsy and Brielle stood on the bridge; and Biff and Kim sat on the bench, watching their friends. "You know… Brielle isn't that bad," Biff confided to his co-leader. "She made a few mistakes, but she's been good to us,"

"Puggsy, especially," Kim agreed, smiling a bit. "I really think she likes him… and maybe he likes her too."

Biff chuckled. "…Even if they deny it,"

Kim nodded.

On the bridge, Puggsy and Brielle stood in silence, the girl staring into the water at her reflection until his appeared next to it. She looked at him, smiled a bit, but didn't say anything. It was a quiet evening, with no problems at hand- they might as well enjoy it.

"Arrrooooooo!"

It was the best two minutes they had, before Fangs and Kasandra saw the moon, and soon the red-capped werewolf came running at Puggsy. "I gotcha now, Pugs!" he exclaimed, grabbing the teen and preparing to toss him into the fountain.

"Excuse me!" Brielle snapped. "Need I remind you that's your best friend- who not only got shot, but also fell off a bridge, got stuffed in a crate, and survived another attack from Vincent? …Oh, and he told me about the time he took a bullet for you. Just in case you forgot."

Fangface paused, then set Puggsy down. "(grr) Sheesh, Brielle, you didn't have to go _that_ deep," he muttered, patting Puggsy on the back. "Sorry Pugs, (grr) I'll try to control myself,"

Hunter walked up, putting an arm around him. "Glad to hear it, hon. Then you and I can spend more time together," she suavely said, stroking underneath his chin.

Puggsy sneered. "Yeah, because you haven't spent enough time together already," he commented.

"I suppose 24 hours just isn't enough," Brielle sighed, rolling her eyes, then patted him on the shoulder. "C'mon, lets head back inside so the wolves can have some 'alone time',"

They walked off, and Hunter shook her head. "I'm telling you, Fangsy, if those two were any more alike, they'd be twins." the she-wolf remarked.

"Well… actually, Hunter, they do have a point," Fangface awkwardly responded, rubbing the back of his neck. "You and I _have_ been hanging out a lot, lately, (grr)"

Hunter looked at him. "Yeah, but we're in a relationship- Pugs needs to understand that's what couples do with each other, instead of thinking I'm stealing his friend away…"

"It's not that Hunter. He understands," Fangface linked his arm with hers, and they walked down the path. “I just think he misses the days when it was just the four of us--- we’ve all had a strong friendship for years, and the two of us always did things together. Now that I have a girlfriend, I think it’s a whole new ballgame for him! (grr) I think I can understand what he meant that night, when he said he didn’t ‘want to be alone’…

"See, you and I have each other, Biff and Kim have each other… but Pugs doesn't have anyone. (grr) One of these days, we may all move on with our lives, maybe to settle down, get married, have kids- years from now of course, just so I don't sound like I'm rushing anything! *ahem* What I’m trying to say is, Puggsy never found ‘that special someone’ before; he’s had some bad experiences with girls, he told me, so I guess he gave up on even trying.”

Hunter rubbed the back of her neck. "He's dated before, huh?"

"Sort of. Some girls wouldn't give him the time of day- one even pepper-sprayed him once! Then there was another who was a real snob- didn't really like him, she only wanted to make her parents mad; and another who only wanted him for…" he paused, looking around. "…well, something really inappropriate, and when he didn't give it to her, she cheated on him. And this other girl stood him up, just so she and her friends could have a laugh."

The she-wolf gawked. "Geez… Did you get a name of those bitches?"

"I don't know. He always mentioned them by the term 'that dumb brood', then turned on an action flick and said he wanted to forget about it. (grr) …He had some good dates, though, don't get me wrong, but they just said it wasn't working out or he wasn't their type or just wanted to be friends, and after a while he just stopped looking for love and focused on the gang,"

Hunter shook her head. "Well, we've all had dates like that… poor guy, though. No wonder he doesn’t like seeing us so passionate; I guess I wouldn’t like it either, if I felt alone all the time…"

The single-fanged werewolf put his arm around her, smiling. "Well, don't worry… (grr) I don't think he'll be alone with Brielle around," he bounced his eyebrows. "If you know what I mean (chk-chk-chk)."

She rolled her eyes. "Fangface, call me pessimistic, but I don't think there's going to be anything going on between Pugs and Brie."

"(grr) Okay, Hunter, but uh, two things: First, why not? And second… what does pessimistic mean?"

"Well… for one thing, neither of them seem into romance, and they've only known each other for a few short days- granted they were stuck in a box for a while- and… Brielle's parents will be taking her home, and probably won't let her go anywhere again," she sighed, looking at the left fountain. "Which makes me _hope_ they don't fall in love, especially since Pugs has been dumped so much. Finding possibly the right girl, only to know that she'll be taken from him… it just sounds so heartbreaking,"

Fangface shook his head. "(grr) You don't know Pugs like I do, Hunter- even if Brielle is never allowed to leave again, that won't stop Puggsy from seeing her. He doesn't give up THAT easily! …Just ask the guys in the boxing ring."

Hunter smiled, a determined look on her face. "You know, Fangsy, we ought to do something to try and convince my aunt and uncle that Brielle should stay with us- I mean, if they try locking her up like before, chances are she'll just become rebellious and be driven down the wrong path. If she travels with us, not only will she have a little more freedom, but her parents will know she'll be in good hands and won't worry as much."

"Ooh, ooh, that's a great plan, Hunter! But, uh… how will we convince them?"

"Trust me, we'll think of something,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After a while, the gang decided to return to their hotel, worn out. Kim offered to let Brielle share a room with her and Biff, to which she accepted. Puggsy hit the mattress the moment he and the werewolves entered their room, while Fangface and Hunter snuggled down in each other's arms once more, drifting to sleep.

After a couple hours, however, sleep failed to come to Brielle. In just a matter of hours, she would be getting hauled back home and placed under lockdown just like before, and she had doubts her parents would give a different reason outside of her running away for four years. She thought that, maybe after telling them about the perils she's faced and overcome, they would realize she was more capable of handling herself than they thought… But thinking about said perils only reminded her of her mistakes, and she had reason to believe her parents would only think of her as a screw-up.

With such thoughts weighing on her mind, she crawled off the couch and walked out onto the balcony for some fresh air and to clear her head, looking up at the dark-blue sky filled with bright stars and a round moon. She took a deep breath, letting it out, and hung her head low. _What am I going to do?_ she thought, hoping to find a solution.

"Hey, you alright?" came a whisper, and she looked and saw Puggsy standing on the neighboring balcony.

"Just can't sleep. What are you doing up?" she replied, quietly.

"Same reason. Fangface started snoring loud enough to wake the dead, interrupting my sleep just in time for me to see you walk out here. …What's on your mind?"

She looked back up at the sky. "My parents. I should have kept in better contact with them, then maybe facing them would be easier,"

"Maybe… though, it's a good thing you didn't. Otherwise, Vincent would probably know where to find 'em and use that as a threat against ya. Probably the same reason our brothers can't contact our families,"

"Yeah, I guess… but, why did my parents have to hide so much from me?"

Puggsy shrugged. "Some parents are weird like that. They're super-protective of their kids, especially when there's danger out in the world. …But, they can't keep them from it, but prepare them, just so when the time comes for them to encounter trouble, they'll know how to handle it. Don't keep blaming yourself, Brielle- your parents ought to share the blame, too, for not giving you a heads up."

Brielle nodded. "You can bet that, when I have kids, I'll teach them that." she looked at him. "You all have pretty trusting parents- they know you encounter danger, but believe you can get out of it. 'Wish my parents were more like that,"

"Y'know, maybe they'll change their minds and let you stay with us, once we convince them you've got enough potential to be on your own,"

She gave him a look, mildly surprised. "You really believe that?"

Puggsy shrugged. "Hey, if you believe you can blow up a pirate ship and take on a few creeps, then you can handle hanging with us,"

She smiled, then stuck her hand out. "Thanks, Pugs,"

He reached over and shook it. "Anytime,"


	26. The Hunter's Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teens get a head start on the day. As they do, Vincent takes time to reflect, his role as a hunter giving him a single deep regret.

Morning came quicker than expected for the gang. Brielle was the last to get up, finding Hunter was waiting for her. "Everyone went downstairs to have breakfast, shall we join them?" the she-wolf asked, in a phony sophisticated tone.

Brielle chuckled. "Sure… I don't have too much of an appetite, though." she murmured.

"Kinda nervous about seeing your parents, eh? Don't worry about it. We'll back you up,"

She only nodded, and they entered the café, where Fangface- to Brielle's surprise and amusement- had turned Puggsy into a sandwich. "I thought you said you were going to cut down on the junk food," Hunter lightly scolded him, crossing her arms.

"I can't help it, it's hard to fight these cravings." Fangface replied. "Besides, I've controlled myself this long, I think I deserve a—OW!" he dropped Puggsy, rubbing his foot. "BRIELLE!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to~" Brielle feigned innocently, smiling while shrugging.

Fangface gave her a look. "Why do I get the feeling you're doing this on purpose? (grr)"

"Lets just get something to eat. …And keep in mind: Puggsy's _not_ on the menu."

The werewolf rolled his eyes, then noticed Puggsy was chuckling. "(grr) What's so funny?!"

"Nothing," Puggsy said quickly, keeping a smirk on his face as they sat down. He looked over at Brielle, who gave him a wink, as she had done the first time she stepped on the werewolf's foot.

Biff and Kim secretly exchanged a look, having to grin. “Looks like Puggsy’s got a new friend,” The leader whispered, and the co-leader only nodded. The two shorter teens looked their way, and the two leaders quickly looked at their menus, acting casual.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

While the gang was enjoying themselves, their foe was doing otherwise.

After being attacked by a stray werewolf, Vincent Fondane found himself in bad condition, bruised and scraped all over, half if not all his weapons broken, and his ankle had been sprained. He had spent the last several hours tending to his wounds then- after a shower- decided to take a walk.

Having always worn a wide-rimmed hat and being clad in black when out in public, no one would recognize the hunter in a casual blue button-up shirt, gray jeans, and brown boots. He walked along until he came across a middle school, where he saw the young boy they had encountered in the alley, Luca.

How happy the boy seemed to be, playing basketball with a few friends before having to head to his classes. How nice it was to see that he was going to school, getting a proper education and growing so well. How nice it was to see the young lad enjoying his life without any cares… never having to pick up a gun to defend himself against some beast or follow the orders of some twisted cult.

And Vincent hoped it would stay that way.

Watching Luca, he could not help but sigh in mild regret. The boy reminded him of himself- black hair, slightly long face, and eyes that always lit up, as his once did. He had been brave back in that alley, when Keith pointed his gun at him, looking defiant as if death didn't scare him, as long as he was stopping his foes from harming more of his friends. …The hunter hoped that they would not be _too_ much alike.

"You're a good lad, Luca," Vincent said to himself. "Strong and brave like those friends of yours… Let’s just hope you never get involved in the danger they're in. Any further than you are now…"

He paused, letting out a heavy breath, shaking his head.

"Hey, look out!" a kid shouted, and a basketball was soaring through the air--- he caught it in time before it could hit him in the face.

"Nice going, pea-brain!" another kid sneered.

"I'll go get it," Luca called, running over to him, oblivious that he was back in Vincent's presence. "Hey, man, can we have our ball back?"

"Quite alright," Vincent replied as he handed over the ball, quickly turning away in case the boy did, in fact, recognize him. He heard retreating footsteps, watching as the boy ran back to the court, just as the bell rang.

The hunter went on his way after that. After his mission was over, he knew he would never come back to San Francisco… he wished he never had to come here, being reminded of a secret he could never share.

Perhaps it was better that way.


	27. Conversation is a Dying Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they check out of the hotel, Brielle tries to speak with her parents. While at Puggsy's doctor's appointment, Fangface ends up speaking to a familiar ally--- and doesn't even know it!

After breakfast, everyone went back to their rooms, where they found a suitcase sitting by the door, with a note attached:

' _Forgot to check out of your last hotel, so I brought your stuff back- your welcome,' –Kite_

"I knew I forgot something," Brielle scoffed, picking up her suitcase.

"You left a few things at the hospital too, Pugs." Biff added, being reminded.

"Eh, I'll pick 'em up at my appointment," Puggsy replied with a shrug.

"We'd better start packing up, too. We've been in San Francisco long enough," Kim stated, and they walked into their rooms.

Hunter's cell phone buzzed just then. "Your dad just texted me, Brielle. He said their plane landed in Los Angeles for a layover, and they should be here in a couple hours," she said, then paused a bit. "Do… you want to talk to them? It might help lighten the tension,"

Brielle looked at her phone, hesitating a bit before taking it. "I guess I might as well get the argument out of the way," she sighed, then stepped out onto the balcony to call them.

Puggsy took out his suitcase, checking to make sure he had everything, looking out the corner of his eye, seeing Hunter had been looking at him but quickly turned her head. "What?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Nothing, just… been thinking about the last couple days." the she-wolf replied, casually. "It would be nice if Brielle could stick around with us. She's not so bad, don't you think?"

"She's okay- manages to help keep you weird-wolves under control,"

Hunter rolled her eyes. "That would explain why you two get along so well. Seriously, though, if we could convince her parents how well she can do on her own, they might let her stay around,"

They looked outside, seeing Brielle was tense as she spoke on the phone, wincing.

"I hope you've got a fool-proof plan," Puggsy told the she-wolf, closing his suitcase.

"Well, it all has to do with reasoning- they're angry because Brielle ran away for so long and barely contacted them, though in her defense her parents wouldn't let her do anything on her own and kept secrets from her. They'll have to agree on some sort of compromise if they want to fix anything and prevent future disasters," Hunter stated matter-of-factly.

"Don't count on it," Brielle groused as she stormed back in, handing Hunter back her cell phone, tears in her eyes as she headed for the front door.

Biff and Kim entered the room as Brielle ran out. "What's wrong with Brielle? What happened?" Kim asked, concerned.

"She talked to her parents," Puggsy replied, scowling a bit as he walked out. "I'll go talk with her,"

Hunter looked at her cell phone, sighing as she put it back in her pocket, Fangface stepping beside her. "Something tells me this is going to be a rough family reunion, (grr)" he said out of the corner of his mouth.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Brielle sat on the bench in front of the hotel, having wiped the tears from her eyes so not to look emotional in front of the strangers around her, yet it was hard to contain them after the talk she had with her mother…

" _Mom? It's me, Brielle," she had said._

" _Brielle! Are you alright? What have you've gotten yourself into?!" came her mother's frantic yet scolding reply._

" _I'm fine mom, and it's a long story. You see, after I took off, I began taking these self defense lessons with a man named Vincent Fondane- I didn't know he was a dangerous man until two weeks ago, and right now we're in the process of catching him. We've already brought down his accomplice, Keith, and everything is fine now…"_

" _Fine **for** now you mean. Have you any idea what kind of trouble you're in because of all this?!"_

" _I've already figured out a few things… Apparently, our family is a big deal to this Veni-Con-Yei group. Care to explain why?"_

" _It's nothing you should know about- the less you know, the better!"_

" _That's not a good answer! I'm already involved enough as it is- just as much as Matthew! If you don't tell me what you're trying to keep from me, nothing is going to get solved!"_

" _That group has been out to kill our family for years, before you were even born… The reason why we didn't tell you anything was because you didn't need to know about it!"_

" _I didn't need to know that my family was in danger? Seriously?!"_

" _If you didn't know about it, there was a chance that you'd stay safe, and no one would come after you- we were only trying to keep you safe!"_

" _By keeping me smothered in that mansion, keeping me from the world or learning to do things on my own, and driving Matthew away?!"_

" _We did not-"_

" _You gave more attention to me than you did to him, and he took off thinking you guys wouldn't miss him! You didn’t even talk him out of joining the Thorns! Now he can't contact you anymore… you should have told me everything!"_

" _You were too young to understand!"_

" _Why do you keep saying that?! I was smart enough to understand knowing you guys couldn't depend on me for anything, so I would have known it was clear that we were being threatened! I'm surprised you weren't trying to keep Matt locked up… why only me? Because I didn't have the same gift he had?!"_

" _We'll talk about it when we get there. Until then, stay put with your cousin, and don't run off again!"_

" _Mom-"_

But she had hung up, and that's when Brielle stormed out, sitting on the bench. _So she won't tell me anything, or even listen to me… why am I going back to them?_ she thought, clenching her jaw as she tried to force tears back.

"You okay?"

"Gah!" She cried, looking over and seeing that Puggsy was suddenly sitting beside her. "How long have you've been…?! Ah, never mind." she let out a heavy sigh. "I got into another argument with my mom- she's pissed, of course, but she wouldn't give me a decent answer. She said I didn't need to know our family was in danger!"

Puggsy arched an eyebrow. "What did your dad have to say?"

"I didn't get a chance to talk to him. She hung up before I could say another word," she looked at him. "Better clear the area when they show up, because I'm pretty sure all hell is going to break loose,"

He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, we're going to back you up on this. You screwed up a long time ago… but they can't hang on to the past. Heck, we've all done stupid things- Fangface and I made a career out of it! Remember what I said last night? It's not entirely your fault… everybody made a big mistake. You've learned how to face it and try to make things right… They need to learn to do the same, and locking you up ain't going to be the answer," he shrugged, smirking. "It would do humanity some good, but it ain't the answer."

Brielle scoffed, but smiled. "Very funny. …well, we've only got a couple hours until Armageddon starts. Any ideas on how to spend our final hours?"

"How about something that doesn't involve us moping on a bench?"

She nodded, and they stood up, walking back to the hotel where they saw the gang had checked out already, the werewolves carrying the luggage to the Wolf Buggy. "There's a walkway across the street from the airport, it's supposed to give a great view of the bay, we can meet your parents there." Biff said as they climbed in.

"We’re going to take Puggsy to the hospital first," Kim spoke up. “He has an appointment in twenty minutes,”

…

They arrived at the hospital with five minutes to spare. Puggsy went in with Fangface, the duo walking up to the nurse’s station. “Excusify me, I have an appointment.” The short teen said in greeting.

"Name?" The nurse asked.

"Puggsy Murphy,"

The nurse looked at him. "Oh, yeah, I remember. You were that patient that survived a bullet to the heart, then snuck out. The doctor is waiting for you,”

Puggsy followed her, telling the werewolf to stay and wait for him. “…And don’t mess with anything!” he had warned.

Thirty minutes passed, and while he waited for his friend to get back, Fangface wandered around a bit, looking at a poster of the anatomy of the abdomen, cocking his head while trying to make it out. “Boy, that looks complicated…” he murmured to himself.

"Quite amazing how it functions, isn't it?" someone said beside him, and he looked to see a very pale man be somewhere between 18 and 21, with black hair and glasses, wearing a long coat and glasses that shielded his piercing blue eyes. "The heart is the strongest muscle in the body, you know- it supports life, helps one feel, and gives one determination to achieve or overcome anything. Yet it can also be very fragile if not handled carefully- it can only give so much strength, until it grows weary, and can only deal with so much pain until it finally breaks… yet even then, it still gives one strength as long as they have endurance."

"(grr) That's pretty good. Are you a poet?" Fangface asked.

He chuckled. "No, I'm just saying what I believe in, and happen to know quite a bit about how the heart works, and how powerful it can be."

"Oh, I know. My buddy was shot in the heart, and he still managed to stay alive!"

The man smiled, showing a pair of fangs. “Ha ha, then he must be very blessed! Or he’s just stubborn.”

“(grr) Between you and me, I think it’s a combination of both. He’s survived quite a lot in the past couple days too! That’s why we’re here now--- he needs to get his bandages changed and stuff after falling in the bay, getting locked in a crate, (grr) ooh, ooh, and he survived an explosion! …I wish I had been with him, it sounds just like an action movie!”

The stranger chuckled. “Funny, I always imagined him to be more of the comedy type.”

“Oh, he’s pretty funny sometimes, but---“ Fangface paused, giving the pale man a look. “Hold on a sec, have you met him before?!”

The man shrugged. “Last time he was here, yes.”

“Last time he was---?”

"Hey, Fangface, let’s go!" Puggsy called, walking over with a bag of the belongings he had left behind. "Who are you talking to?"

"Pugs! This guy says he-" Fangface turned, but the man had disappeared. "Huh?" he rubbed his eyes. "He was just here...”

Puggsy shook his head. "C'mon, lets get out of here, before you have to be checked into a hospital next- a mental hospital, that is."


	28. Anxious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang awaits the arrival of Brielle's parents. During so, Kasandra explains to Brielle how people can be devoted to each other without being in love; Fangs ends up emphasizing this as he is still concerned for Puggsy's safety.

Within an hour, the teens reached the airport. The closer they got, the more tense Brielle felt, though remained calm every time she looked over at Puggsy… who, apparently, didn't mind having Fangface ride on his shoulders. "Any particular reason you're up there?" she asked the werewolf after a few minutes.

"It has a great view, (grr) plus, Puggsy's a pretty good cushion when it comes to long car trips," Fangface replied with a grin.

"Yeah, but don't you think it's a little dangerous? I mean, what if Biff hit a pot-hole or something?"

"She's right, babe. Better sit in the seat, before a cop busts us or something," Hunter agreed.

Fangface sneered, then bent over to look at Puggsy. "Girls never let guys have fun," he muttered, then climbed down, sitting next to Hunter.

Puggsy shifted his shoulders a bit, while stretching his neck. "Well, that's _one_ pain in the neck I won't have to deal with," he quipped, and Brielle chuckled while the werewolves only rolled their eyes.

Kim and Biff only looked at each other, grinning.

They parked their vehicle and headed to the walkway, looking out at the water as the sunlight reflected off it, and out in the distance they could make out the bridge. Brielle and Puggsy found it funny that, after leaping off it, the large landmark seemed so small and felt as if jumping off it looked easy.

Seeing the sun reflecting in the water, Hunter and Fangface changed back to Fangs and Kasandra. "Boy, Kite wasn't kidding- that really does get you dizzy," The lanky teen commented, holding his head.

"As if you weren't dizzy enough," Brielle joked. "You know, I really have to ask you guys… what's it like being werewolves? Must be pretty cool having super-strength and keen senses and being intimidating and all that,"

"To you, maybe, but it freaks me out. …Actually, I didn't know I was a werewolf until just a couple years ago. Turning into something that I'm afraid of, not having much control…" he looked at Puggsy. "Knowing no amount of mouth-wash will help get the taste of 'Puggsy' out of my mouth… Heck, I'm pretty much the only one in my family who's bothered by it. Sam thinks being a werewolf is the coolest thing ever, as well as our cousins Baby Fangs and Little Sammie, but they didn't really live half their lives in a blank."

"But you've managed to get over it after meeting me, right?" Kasandra asked him, soothingly.

He smiled. "Well… yeah, but you help me keep Fangface in control pretty good,"

"…sometimes," Puggsy muttered under his breath.

"There's a hot-dog vendor down the street. You guys hungry?" Biff asked, and the others nodded.

"I don't have much of an appetite. Thanks, though." Brielle replied, looking over the edge.

"We'll be right back, then," Kim said, as she and Biff walked off.

The blonde watched them go, then turned to the others. "Are you two _sure_ they're not a couple?" she asked. "They seem to go everywhere with each other,"

"It's hard to say. We think they both might like each other secretly, or just decided to be friends. Some people have relationships like that- building up a bond so strong that you never want to leave their side." Kasandra replied, smiling.

"Sounds like something from a romance flick. Excuse me while I throw up,"

"It's not just romance, it also takes place in friendships and families. …I mean, take Fangs and Pugs for example- they're best friends, and you hardly see them apart! Since the day I first met ‘em, they’ve been closer than a bee is to its hive!"

"Why did _we_ have to be the example?" Puggsy groused.

"You got me," Fangs replied with a shrug.

"Thing is, when you find that one friend, or lover, who will always have your back, be there to help you out, and want to be at your side whenever trouble comes around… well, you've got a bond for life." Kasandra told Brielle. "With Biff and Kim, they share a great bond, whether it's romance or friendship remains a mystery, but as long as they're there to look out for each other, it doesn't really matter."

Brielle nodded. _I think my stomach just lurched,_ she wanted to say, but held her tongue so not to criticize the description of someone's relationship. "Anyone want to take a walk further down the path?" she asked instead.

"Eh, why not- in an hour we're both going to be cramped in some seats for a long trip home, so we might as well enjoy the space while we can," Puggsy replied, walking with her.

"Don't go off too far, stay close to the airport," Fangs told them.

Puggsy gave him a sarcastic look. "Yes, 'mother'."

The lanky teen watched them walk off, his fingers tapping rapidly on his lap the farther they went. "Fangs, honey, is there something wrong?" Kasandra asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine." Fangs replied, looking at her real quick before back at Puggsy and Brielle.

Kasandra put her hands on her hips, arching an eyebrow. "Then why do you keep watching those two so nervous-"

Fangs faced her before she could finish her sentence. "I'm not concerned for his safety, stop saying that!"

"…ly?" Kasandra paused. "Is that it? You're concerned about Puggsy?"

"What?! No! Of course not! Far from it! Waaaay off-topic… er…"

Kasandra was giving him a firm 'Yeah Right' look.

He unleashed a heavy sigh. "Alright, I am… but can you blame me? So much has happened, and we nearly lost him so many times… I just can't get over it. Plus, I promised I would watch out for him- like what you just told Brielle, we've always been at each other's side and watched each other's backs… him watching mine more than I did his…" he hung his head low.

Kasandra patted him on the back. "Oh c'mon, Fangs, you've been there for him just as much. It's alright to worry about him after all that's happened, and we all want to always be there for him and each other… but someday, hopefully ages from now, you'll both have to move on and let each other watch out for themselves- though you'll always be there when you need each other. Just because everyone may go their separate ways someday, doesn't mean we won't come together once again."

"Okay… But until then, I'm going to look out for him- _and_ the rest of you," he put his arm around her. "Especially you." he gave her a peck on the cheek.

She smiled, blushing a bit. "I'll do the same thing," She then kissed him on the lips.

Biff and Kim walked back over with some hotdogs. "Hey, where's Pugs and Brie?" Biff asked.

"They're over there," Fangs replied, as Kim handed him and Kasandra their hotdogs.

"I guess he wasn't that hungry," Kim said, looking at the spare hotdog.

"…can I have his hotdog, then?"

The others laughed, shaking their heads.

Down the walk, Puggsy and Brielle stood silently, watching a few ships pass by in the bay. She leaned on the edge, resting her chin on her arms, while he folded his elbows on it, staying upright. Some planes flew overhead, a few gulls called out on the bank, and a cool wind blew. It wasn't much of a pretty sight, but it was peaceful, and considering they were only a few minutes from a stressful situation, it was best to enjoy the solitude while it lasted.

Puggsy looked at her, quietly wishing she would share her thoughts on the situation, though over the past few days and nights she already told him everything. Just watching her now he could figure out how nerve-racked she was, and how much dread she felt about facing her folks.

 _If her mom couldn't even stay on the line with her without arguing, then we're going to have some real communication issues._ He thought. _Hopefully the rest of us can get through to them._


	29. A Bitter Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't you hate it when you haven't seen your parents in years, and the moment you're face-to-face your mom doesn't hold back in criticizing every choice you made, and your dad brings up having been one of the first enemies of the psychopaths who are out to kill your friends, and you're forced to go home without knowing something terrible has happened?
> 
> Brielle sure does. 
> 
> (Or, the chapter where we find out what a total b*tch Brielle's mom is and where her father explains the connection the Shereba family has to the Veni-Con-Yei.)

It felt too soon that Kasandra got a text from her uncle, announcing he and his wife arrived at the airport.

As they stood and waited, both Kasandra and Brielle were tense. The wolf-girl never told anyone yet, but the first time she messaged her aunt and uncle, things started out a little awkward- she had to remind them she was their niece, and it was difficult since she had to refrain from bringing up her parents too much, as well as keep from asking what their fight had been about. Seeing them in person was sure to be a lot more uncomfortable.

Soon, they saw the parents exiting the building. Brielle father, Kiff, appeared to be a more mature version of Matthew, but with a mustache and small goatee, his hair dirty-blond, and blue eyes that matched his children's; her mother, Tanya, looked closer to Brielle, but her hair was auburn-brown and cut in a short style, her eyes were hazel, and she had a perfect shape for a woman in her 40's.

"Well… lets head over there," Biff said, and they walked over…

Brielle, however, was frozen in place. "Uh, you coming, Brie?" Fangs asked.

"I can't do this…" Brielle began to hyperventilate. "I feel like I'm going to- *gasp*"

She looked, seeing that Puggsy had taken hold of her hand. "You'll have to face them sooner or later… and right now, you've got us with you. You can do this." he assured her in a soft tone, and walked with her.

She blushed a bit, but shook her head, focusing on the matter at hand- not who _held_ her hand.

"Aunt Tanya, Uncle Kiff!" Kasandra called, waving to them as she ran over first. "It's nice to see you both again,"

"It's great to see you too, Kassy- wow, you've certainly grown," Kiff exclaimed, smiling as he gave her a hug. "Now then, where's my daughter?" he looked over at Brielle. "Brie! Honey, what all have you've been up to all these years?"

"Besides getting yourself in constant danger?" Tanya cut in, not bothering to hide her disapproval.

“(Darling, you promised…)” Kiff sighed, rubbing his face.

"I believe she's got a lot to share with you guys," Kim replied first, after seeing the glare that developed in Brielle's eyes. "She's already told us so much about her travels,"

Tanya looked at the gang, giving a polite smile. "Ah, you must be the teens who helped find my daughter. To whom do we owe our thanks?”

"Aunt Tanya, this is my boyfriend, Sherman Fangsworth, and these are his friends- Biff, Kim, and Puggsy," Kasandra replied, introducing the gang. "I've been traveling with them for a year now. Puggsy here has been with Brielle during their mishap the past two days,"

"So I have heard. Well, I'm glad someone was supervising her,” Tanya turned to the raven-haired teen. “I hope she was not too much of a handful,”

"Excusify me, ma'am, but I wasn't quite superiormizing her- we helped each other out," Puggsy responded, using all his strength to keep his tone polite. “She was able to get me out of a few scrapes,”

"Really? Because the way I heard it, she led you all into danger, and ran off when the consequences became dire," Tanya huffed.

" _Actually,_ we were already in trouble before we met Brielle. Vincent Fondane attacked my parents last year," Kasandra spoke up firmly, before Brielle could snap at her mother.

"Fondane?! How did he find you?" Kiff gasped, concerned.

"We don't know, but he's been trying to hunt us down since last year. He's still out there, but from what we heard he's wounded pretty bad so he might not show his face for a while," Biff explained.

The father crossed his arms, his expression grim. "Hmm, I wouldn't let your guard down- from what I've heard, Vincent is the most skilled hunter in the league, and can't be stopped that easily."

"How do you know about him and his 'league'?" Kim asked.

"Does it have to do with why you kept me trapped at home?" Brielle questioned bitterly.

"Brielle, that's enough!" Tanya snapped.

"Tanya, please… I believe it's time she knew the truth." Kiff reprimanded his wife. He turned to his daughter. "I wanted to tell you a long time ago, especially around the time your brother ran away and joined the Thorns… but your mother didn't want you involved and thought it would be best if you knew nothing about it, hoping that would keep you out of harm's way," he gave his wife a cold glance. "Despite her good intentions, it wasn't a good plan, and I tried to convince her- but she tends to be too stubborn to listen."

"I am not!" Tanya crossed her arms, fuming.

Kiff ignored her. "You see, Brielle, long ago, when I was roughly around your age, a couple friends and I learned about Marlow and his group, how he was targeting families with a supernatural trait. Well, we each were or had a family member with such traits- after learning about the madman, I became concerned for my sister's (your mother, Kassy) safety, as well as my friend Lucy- who is a werewolf- and Ryan Thorn, an old friend of mine. Ryan happened to be skilled in combat, Lucy had the brains, and I happened to be quite skilled at tracking- it was a trait passed down from my grandfather to my sister and I. Combining our skills and recruiting a few other supernaturals, we created the Thorn Agency- Ryan was actually the one to begin it with a few relatives, so we felt it would be fair to name it after him. Having spread agents everywhere, it wasn't long before Marlow's accomplices were captured, with only he and Vincent left."

"Your father believed they could all finally settle down- everyone went home and started their own families, and everything was going well for a while," Tanya let out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, eight years ago, Marlow managed to get some new recruits, and was back in business after years of laying low. He began targeting anyone who was a family member or friend of the agency; Ryan found out first and alerted Kiff and Lucy, and we had to cut ties with our families and move."

"That's how a fight began between us and your parents, Kassy. Your mother was so distraught about the whole thing and didn't want me to get back out there, even though I told her I wouldn't be working as a field agent, but more undercover, and thought it was unfair how we couldn't see them again, despite it would be for her own safety. …However, I suppose after meeting Fondane, I think it would be alright to call her up."

"Maybe you all should have kept in contact with your families, just to warn them. Then they could have called you in case something happened!" Kim spoke up.

"I wish I could have known all this… I could have helped bring down Vincent the moment I met him," Brielle stated. “He didn’t know I was related to you guys when we first met, and I could have sent word to Matthew---“

"Even if we did tell you, we wouldn't allow you to go out there. You're not capable of this sort of fight, and the events of the past two weeks prove-" Tanya began.

"Otherwise," Puggsy interrupted. "Ma'am, I've seen your daughter in action. She made a few mistakes, but she's capable of more than you think,"

"I agree with his judgment," Kiff stated with a proud grin.

"Be as it may, she's still coming home with us," Tanya scoffed.

"Actually, Aunt Tanya… we were hoping that Brielle could stay with us." Kasandra requested.

Her aunt gave her a look of refusal. "I think she's been away from home and facing peril enough, Kasandra, don't provoke her further. …Come to think of it, I don't know why _your_ parents let you take off with a few strangers, with a madman on the loose."

"Tanya-" Kiff began to scold.

"I'm not changing my mind, Kiff! She's coming home with us, before she gets into any more danger," she looked at her watch. "Our flight isn't supposed to take off until around 7, so I suggest we should go somewhere and talk things over- particularly about your rebellious attitude, Brielle." With that, she began to walk ahead. “Send our regards to your parents, Kassy.”

Brielle scowled at her.

"Please excuse my wife's behavior- she tends to be difficult when our kids runaway." Kiff whispered to the gang, then turned to Brielle. "We'll give you a few minutes to say goodbye, Brie. Thank you all again for looking out for her,"

The blonde sighed bitterly, turning to the gang. "So much for trying to persuade them," she muttered. "Well, if you guys are ever in Nebraska, look me up."

"We sure will." Kim said, hugging her.

"And we'll be sure to let you come along with us again," Biff added, patting her on the back.

"Yeah, your mom can't keep you cooped up forever," Puggsy reassured, then whispered. "I'd call up Matt, and see if he could sneakify you out,"

She chuckled. "I'm going to miss you guys, and I promise to keep in touch,"

"Brielle, lets go!" Tanya called.

Brielle gave Kasandra a hug. "Take care, Kassy- if you see Vincent again, give him a good kick in the face for me,"

"Will do," Kasandra replied with a grin.

Brielle then walked off with her parents, a sullen look on her face as they entered a taxi.

"Ooh, ooh, she needs to come back," Fangs murmured.

"Yeah… she was pretty fun to hang out with, wasn't she?" Biff agreed, crossing his arms.

The lanky teen was digging in his pockets. "No, I mean she really NEEDS to come back- she's still got my cell phone!" he took off down the street. "HEY BRIELLE! WAIT UP!"

Puggsy rolled his eyes. "I'll go with him," he said, following Fangs, while the others laughed.

Suddenly, Kim's cell phone rang. "Hello?" she answered between a laugh.

"Kim? It's Kite… we've got a problem," came Kite's voice on the other line. "Keith escaped."

She gasped. "What?! How?!"

"The bastard stabbed Matthew with a tranquilizer dart,"

"But, I thought you searched him and took all his weapons!"

"…apparently, he had this one hidden good- don't think about it too much, Matthew is still sterilizing his neck."

Kim cringed. "Eeeew…!"

"I told you not to think about it! …Look, we're going to meet with you guys at the airport. Stay together until we get there! I have a feeling he'll be hunting down you guys first,"

"Alright, well hurry." Kim replied before the call ended.

"What is it?" Biff asked.

"That was Kite… Keith escaped!"

"Shit!" Kasandra yelped, and looked down the street, seeing that Fangs and Puggsy were already out of sight. "We've got to find the guys! We have to warn my aunt and uncle! We've got to _do something!"_

"Kite said he's going to meet us here, and wants us to stay together," Kim told her.

"I'll call Puggsy. Kassy, you call Fangs' phone- since Brielle still has it, you can warn her," Biff instructed.

The co-leader clutched her phone, looking down the street. _Please, God… let us be able to prevent another disaster!_ She prayed.


	30. Let's Split Up, Gang!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go well between Brielle and her mother... though an argument is the least of their worries when the family is attacked! Familiar friends return once again just in time to help the others track down their foes before anyone else gets hurt, and the gang splits up to finally put an end to this mayhem!

"…and he showed me around London afterwards. It's a good thing we became good friends, too, since he's skilled in medicine and managed to be nearby for Puggsy's heart surgery," Brielle was telling her father as they sat in the taxi.

“Fascinating!” Kiff replied, very impressed.

Her mother, however, only looked out the window, apparently not listening.

Brielle looked at her, hoping she would at least say _something_ that would show she wasn’t all bitter, but only seemed to remain angry at the fact that her daughter had taken money and traveled so far away.

"By the way, I'm planning on making my own magazine, about people who explore the world, and even some war heroes. I plan on using the money I earn from it to pay you both back for the money I… took." The daughter awkwardly stated.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Brielle- and glad to know how responsible you've become," Kiff replied.

"If your 'career' didn't involve spending _more_ money.” Tanya scoffed. “If you want to pay us back, _we_ will find a job for you to work at until you've paid us back every penny… and we're taking away your bank card so that you won't pull this act again. Once you've learned your lesson completely, then you can get to work on your little dream."

Brielle turned red with anger; the final nerve was struck, and she couldn’t hold back her anger any longer. "Oh for fuck’s sake, are you going to be negative about _everything_ I do?! This is why I ran away- you never thought I could do anything! Here I am, telling you about all the things I've done, the places I've seen, the friends I've made, and you don't even give a damn! The others back there managed to give me another chance after I fouled up, but here you are acting like… like Dark Crow!"

"Who?" Kiff asked.

"He's an accomplice to the VCY, who kidnapped Puggsy and I-" she gave her mother a hard glance. " _Before I took him out!_ …He had a daughter, Gin, who helped us escape- she ran away from him, because he had no respect for her and criticized everything she did, thinking she was nothing but a weak screw-up, _just like you always thought of me!"_

"That is ENOUGH!" Tanya snapped. "The reason I don't ‘praise you for your accomplishments’ is because you were irresponsible in your actions! I'm surprised those teens didn't have you jailed after what you've put them through by joining Vincent! You, young lady, have done nothing to earn any trust, and it will be a long time before you earn ours back!"

"Well I've got news for you- you lost my trust and respect YEARS ago, and I won't be showing it to you until you've given me a chance to prove myself!"

"Ugh, forget it. Forget it! I am not having this conversation with you any longer!”

"Fine by me!"

After that, there was silence, and Kiff only sat there, uncomfortably. _There isn't a counselor in the world…_ he thought, rubbing his face.

What the family did not notice was a black car that had been driving beside the taxi for the last three blocks...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Puggsy and Fangs had run out of breath after two blocks, having lost sight of the taxi. "I think my lungs popped," Fangs wheezed, and noticed Puggsy was clutching his chest. "How's the heart?"

"Still beating," Puggsy replied. "Need to cut down on the exercise for a while, though. We'll head back to the airport and meet up with them later-"

A dark-green SUV sped up to them just then, the back door opened, and they were yanked in! "WHOA!" they both cried, and the vehicle sped off.

"What the jumping ignorpoto—" Puggsy began to sputter.

"Sorry for the unexpected pick-up, Pugs, but we're in a hurry!" Chance exclaimed, being the one driving the car.

"What the…?! Chance?! What are you doing here?!" Fangs gasped.

"Long story, Fangs, right now we've got to get to the others- where are they?"

"At the airport-"

"Perfect, just where we were supposed to meet! You guys have great timing!"

"Chance, what the heck is going on?!" Puggsy demanded.

"Keith escaped, you're back in danger, and we need to track him down!"

"Alright, alright, slow down!"

"I can't- I don't drive easy under suspense! Just buckle up!"

Fangs did so… with two seat belts.

In a matter of moments, they were back at the airport, just as Kite rode up with Matthew. "Where's Brielle?" Matthew asked.

"She left with your parents, but we don't know where they went. Their flight doesn't take off until 7, so they should be back here in a couple hours," Biff answered.

"Shit, we've got to find them! Keith is more likely to go after Brielle than the rest of you, since she's a Shereba!”

“…and because she was the last one to try to break his face,” Kite added.

"Yeah, we know the whole 'vengeance' story now," Puggsy groused.

"I've been trying to call her, but I keep getting voicemail," Kasandra told them.

"Agh, it's my phone- it can't find good reception so it won't receive any calls!" Fangs cried.

"I'll call my uncle, then. I still have his number," Kasandra began to dial.

"The moment I see that kid, I'm going to kick his ass clear to Australia!" Matthew snarled, scrubbing his neck with disinfectant wipes. "Next time, we're doing a cavity search!"

"TMI, Twiggy," Chance sneered.

"Uncle Kiff? It's me. Look, you guys have to come back here right now!" Kasandra said into her phone, frantically.

"What's wrong?" Kiff asked on the other line.

"It's Keith- he's an accomplice of Vincent's- he managed to escape, and he's out to get us all, and your guys may be his number one targets!"

"What?! Don't worry, we're turning back n-"

There was a crash on the other line just then, followed by Tanya's scream, until the call suddenly ended. "Hello? Hello?! Oh no…" Kasandra turned to the others. "Something happened to them!"

"Give me the phone, I can trace the call," Kite stated, grabbing the cell, then pulled out a wire… and hooked it onto his bracelet, shutting his eyes.

"What is he doing?" Kim asked, having seen Kite do this before.

"Getting a trace- it's a special ability his gadget has, it can help him find anything," Matthew answered.

"Got it- they're five blocks north of here, lets go!" Kite exclaimed two seconds later.

"Wow, that was quick," Fangs stated, astounded. Climbing back into their vehicles, they took off.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They reached the site, where they saw to their disturbance the taxi-cab had crashed into a bus, two police cars already at the scene. The taxi-driver was pulled out, unconscious and having a dart in his neck, while Tanya was kneeling by a wounded Kiff, who's shoulder was bleeding.

"Aunt Tanya! Uncle Kiff!" Kasandra cried, rushing over first. "What happened?!"

"It was horrible! The driver was shot, and the vehicle swerved into that bus! After we crashed, the door was pried open and these two horrible men grabbed Brielle! Kiff tried to stop them, but the younger man stabbed him in the shoulder!" Tanya sobbed, hanging on to her husband's hand. "He was about to stab me next, but these two teens managed to knock him out of the way, and had the crowd throw anything they could grab at him… *sniff* but the older one managed to drag Brielle away, and the other disappeared down the alley."

"Don't worry, ma'am, we'll track them down and get her back, I promise." Kite assured her.

"G-Guys!" came a familiar shout, and Stutz ran up to them… with a familiar face at his side.

"Puggsy?!" Gin gasped.

"Gin! Didn't think I'd see you again, soon!." Puggsy cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I was on the bus to the airport, when that taxi cab crashed into it. I saw Brielle putting up a fight afterwards, and Stutz and I ran out, and I knocked one of their attackers away while Stutz guarded the wounded man."

"W-W-We t-tried t-to s-save B-Brielle t-t-too, b-but..." Stutz tried to say, then shook his head. "Gah! I-I'm t-too u-upset t-to t-t-talk!"

"The man who grabbed her disappeared while we were handling the other one,"

"You're the girl who saved our friends from their kidnappers, aren't you?" Kim guessed, astounded at their resemblance to each other.

Gin shared her amazement. “You must be Kim. Wow, no wonder Puggsy mistook me for you…”

"Yes, you have a twin, I have a twin, everyone has a twin somewhere I’m sure--- but we can worry about that later! C'mon, we need to get a track on Brielle!" Matthew exclaimed.

"She's still got Fangs' phone," Biff spoke up. "If we call it, maybe Kite can get a trace on it!"

"Worth a try," Kasandra agreed, then allowed Kite to hook up his bracelet to it, then called her beau's phone.

After a minute, Kite gave a nod. "Got it, they're heading to the park," he informed.

"We'll go after Vincent and Brielle, you see if you can get a trace on Keith," Matthew ordered, climbing into the car with Fangs, Puggsy, and Chance.

"Matthew!" Tanya called, and he looked at her. She winced. "Please… be careful,"

Matthew nodded, then drove off with the others.

Kite tapped his bracelet, concentrating. "I know where Keith is heading," he told the others.

"But… how? You didn't hook up anything to the bracelet." Kim questioned.

Kite smirked. "I didn't have to… You see, this isn't an ordinary bracelet--- ah, it's a long story, I'll share details once we're out of a drastic situation. Now, lets go!"

Kite hopped on his motorcycle while the others piled into the Wolf Buggy, driving off down the street.

Tanya sighed, turning to Kiff. "It's a good thing our kids have so many friends," she admitted.

"Yeah… and it was our daughter who brought them together," Kiff pointed out, grunting a bit but still smiling. An ambulance pulled up, and the parents went to the hospital.


	31. Love and Respect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chance, Nightclaw, Fangface and Puggsy search for Brielle--- ending up in a debate on whether or not the short teen found love, and listening to the radio doesn't exactly help! Meanwhile, Keith is taught an important lesson in respecting women, via the reason why you never want to piss off Kim. Ever.

Puggsy and Chance sat up front while Matthew and Fangs took the backseat. "Step on it, Chance! We may be too late!" Puggsy cried.

"Hey, I'm going as fast as I can!" Chance snapped, navigating through traffic like a marble in a pinball machine. "Fangs, why don't you change into Fangface, we're going to need him. Matt, you can do the same!"

"On it- wait, what was that last part?" Fangs asked, taking out a picture of the moon.

"Allow me to explain…" Matthew began, then transformed into a werewolf- the same werewolf who attacked Vincent yesterday!

"You're a WEREWOLF?!" Puggsy cried out, then turned to Chance. "Nice of you guys to tell me that _now!"_

"I think it's cool," said a now-transformed Fangface, popping up and startling Puggsy.

"Well, I could never find a way to bring it up in conversation," Chance quipped with a shrug. “It’s actually advised we don’t bring it up in public--- you never know when a VCY member will pop up… as the last couple of days have proven.”

"Yeah, it's kind of the whole Superman/Clark Kent scenario," Nightclaw explained. “Only a lot less obvious.”

"(grr) I'm just glad to be meeting another werewolf, ooh ooh!" Fangface stated in excitement, shaking his paw.

"Wait… does this mean… Brielle's a werewolf too?!" Puggsy sputtered.

"Well, it's hard to say. You see, I didn't transform until I was two," Nightclaw explained. "In our family, it takes a while for our werewolf halves to awaken, normally they don't until they're 13. I haven't sensed a dormant wolf within Brielle, so either it hasn't awakened yet or she's human. Normally they awaken at the presence of a threat, and after all you've gone through, I'm supposing she's human."

Puggsy let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God…"

Chance gave his brother a look. "Why were you concerned on whether she was a werewolf or not?" he asked, smirking.

"Well… for one thing, I'm constantly surrounded by them, so I don't think I could handle hanging around another- no offense Fangface,"

"None taken," Fangface said with a shrug, then turned to Chance. "It's also because he likes her a lot."

"Whaaat?/What?!/ _What?!"_ Chance, Puggsy, and Nightclaw all laughed, snapped, and cried.

"I had no idea you liked-/I don't like her, don't listen to him/You're hitting on my sister?!/Don't deny it, you do!" They all spoke at once.

"Alright, alright, ALRIGHT! Just drop it! We need to FOCUS!" Puggsy shouted. "This is no time for games!"

"Who says love is a game?" Chance asked with a coy smile.

"I'm NOT in love! For crying out… Just drive!"

"Turn on the radio, Hossy, it might ease the tension," Nightclaw suggested.

Chance did so, and a song began to play…

_~I want to know what love is…_

_I want you to show me~_

Puggsy changed the station.

_~What is love?_

_Baby don't hurt me_

_Don't hurt me, no more~_

He scowled, changing it again.

_~I need love, you need love_

_We all really need love~_

He clenched his teeth, changing it again.

_~And I-I-I_

_Will always love yo-o-ou~_

He then hit his head on the dashboard, turning off the radio. Chance, Nightclaw, and Fangface all held their breaths, trying not to laugh.

"Just. Drive." Puggsy groaned through clenched teeth.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Keith was running through a construction lot, breathing heavily while snickering. His body ached, his eyes still stung, and his scars had re-opened… but he was still euphoric- insanely ecstatic even. Vincent had gotten away with Brielle, he stabbed her father, and was the first VCY agent to escape capture by the Thorns, and soon those meddlers would be dead too.

"Dad's going to be so proud," Keith chuckled to himself. "We'll have killed that Shereba's daughter, and outwitted those agents! It'll be the highlight of my life!"

"That's what you think," came a voice, and he looked up…

Seeing Kitefang standing on a beam, his eyes glowing as he bared his fangs.

Keith backed away. "Ooh, if it isn't Thorn's 'best agent'… How's your mama doing- oh, wait, I forgot. She ain't around anymore!"

The werewolf snarled, leaping down at him. Keith backed away, grinning as he drew his knife… but sensed something behind him and turned, seeing Hunter standing there.

"Well, well, well, it appears you've made a new friend," Their foe snickered. "Killing two werewolves in one night, this shall be an awesome experience,"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Biff shouted, as he, Kim, and Gin stepped out, and they surrounded him.

Keith only laughed. "Oh, geez… I thought Thorn recruited only the best—here I've got two werewolves… yet their backup consists of some pretty-boy, and a couple bimbos!" he looked at Kim. "Hey, look, babe. Why don't you step aside and let the tough guys handle this, alright? I doubt anything will get solved with you just standing there looking pretty,"

Kim clenched her fists. "You're _really_ asking for it, aren't you?" she sneered.

"Hey, all I'm asking is for you ladies to back away… In fact, it’s best if you leave while you have the chance. Unlike men, there are two ways I deal with lady enemies--- and your bodies look like they might get a lot of mileage.”

"You… you pig! We're going to kick your ass for that, AND what you did to our friends!" Gin snarled.

"Ooh, I'm so scared!" Keith then began to mockingly prance around, raising his voice to a higher pinch. "I'm going to get beat up by a couple of bimbos, what ever am I going to do?" he then gave them a glare. "Please, the best thing you girls are good for is getting kidnapped and raped." he took out a gun, aiming it at Kitefang when he came closer. "(Stop right there, wolf-boy) You bitches either fuck off, or I’ll fuck you later---“

*THWACK!*

Kim had picked up a brick and chucked it at his face. While he was stunned, she ran forth and punched him in the stomach, kicked his legs out from underneath him, stomped on his crotch,body-slammed him on the abdomen, knocking the wind out of him and making him cough up blood; she then hoisted him by the shirt-collar and swung him into a stack of barrels, making them collapse on top of him!

"The only one you can fuck is yourself, you pervert!" Kim snarled, rage still radiating off her.

Everyone gawked.

"…and that’s why you don’t make Kim angry.” Biff told the audience.

"Boy, you just keep getting your ass kicked left and right, don't you?" Kitefang said to Keith as he lied on the ground, letting out a weak whimper. "And I thought they said you were Marlow's best recruit… I wonder what their worst one is like," He pulled the accomplice onto his feet, stripping him of his weapons, then locking some cuffs on him. "And I have some friends at the station who can check you _everywhere_ for any other weapons you may have- I'd do it myself, but I don't like to get my paws _that_ dirty,"

Keith paled, but scowled. "Yeah? Well, it'll take more than some dumb werewolf and some bitch to-" he began to sneer.

*CRACK!*

Hunter broke a brick over his head, knocking him out cold. "There. That ought to shut him up for a few hours," she sneered.

"C'mon, lets turn him in, and catch up to the others," Biff ordered, and they dragged Keith to the car to drop him off at prison, then search for their friends, hoping they were alright.


	32. The Final Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent and Brielle face off with one another, and it is not long before Puggsy and the werewolves join the fight! Can they take down their foe without blood being spilled?
> 
> ...probably not.

In the park, Brielle was struggling against Vincent, who kept a tight grip on her arms as he pushed her through the trees, keeping her blindfolded and gagged. "Oh stop struggling already- I don't want to kill you, but considering you betrayed me, let alone deserted the Veni-Con-Yei in doing so, it must be done."

 _I wasn't part of that damned hunting group!_ she wanted to shout, but her voice was muffled under her gag.

Vincent figured out her thoughts, anyway. "You may think you weren't, but you were my accomplice, that automatically drew you in, whether you knew about it before or not, and no one can really leave it behind- the only way out is death." he threw her to the ground, taking out a knife.

As he spoke, Brielle wriggled her wrists in her bonds, her wrists thin enough to slip through, and hoped he hadn't noticed. She sat up, listening to his footsteps, pinpointing where he stood.

"I'm actually doing you a favor, you know. Women in the group who turn traitor suffer a much worse fate, and I would be damned if I let that sort of thing befall you. …I want you to know, you truly were my best student, regardless of the situation now. Almost like a daughter… that is why I am doing this before Marlow can find you. Farewell, Brielle."

When he knelt beside her and grabbed her shoulder, she acted quick and punched him in the eye. She stood up, pulling off the blindfold, then kicked him in the stomach, untying her gag while he was hunched over back. “Dude, you’re a terrible father.” She sneered, and picked up the knife he dropped, running over to stab him.

Vincent acted quick, drawing another knife and blocking her attack, their blades clashing and causing a spark, and they stood face-to-face, circling each other. "Hmph. Apparently, I taught you too well," the hunter remarked, smirking.

Brielle only continued to glare. "Less talk, more fight,"

"Gladly," he lunged first, but she dodged his attack, taking a swipe at his ribs, missing.

Vincent tried slashing her eye, but she leaned in a sideways dodge, kicking upward and hitting his elbow, striking his funny-bone and making him drop his knife; she caught it, now holding both knives and swinging at his head. The hunter ducked, grabbing a pair of knives he kept in a holster on his boots, and standing up quick, slicing her arm, making her hiss in pain, but she clung onto her knives and cut downward on his arm while it was in mid-slice, both of them having gashes.

She then tried to slice up at his face to psych him out while her other hand tried to stab his abdomen, but he jumped back and swung a kick at her legs, though she managed to jump over it. He swung his knife, aiming for her temple after she jumped, but she tilted her head away, the knife slicing off an inch of her hair instead.

They paused a beat to catch their breaths, then went at each other again. This time, Brielle watched for his moves. He stabbed at her, she dodged and sliced his arm, blocking the other one when it was swung at her. He growled in pain, then kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her, then sliced her on the shoulder, elbowing her in the face and knocking her into a tree.

"You have quite a few skills- you'd think that after I taught them to you, you would do a little bet—" Vincent began to taunt.

Brielle kicked up-

*crunch*

Vincent's eyes bugged out, and he bit his bottom lip, grabbing his crotch and falling on his knees. "Didn't teach me THAT, now did ya?" Brielle retorted, then stood up and took off running while the villain was stuck in a crouch. She knew she couldn't take Vincent on her own. It was common sense- he had taught her the moves she had. Unless she learned how to enhance them or learned something new, there was a slim chance she could beat him.

She hid behind a tree, hearing him cursing, and heard sounds of footprints running in her direction. She crouched low, then when a shadow passed over her, she leaped, catching them from behind in a headlock. "Gotcha, you creep!"

"*Gack!* Brielle, wait! It's me, Puggsy!" Puggsy choked out, trying to pry her arms off his neck. "Oxygenery! Need… Oxygenery!"

"Pugs?" she gasped, letting him go. "Oh, thank God you're here!"

He rubbed his throat, taking in deep breaths. "Yeah, we managed to trace Vincent here… where is he?"

"Not too far off, we'd better get going. Where are the others?"

"Chance, Nightclaw, and Fangface are out here- we split up to search for you. …Oh, by the way, thanks for telling me _your brother is a werewolf!"_

"Yeah, well, it's nothing I consider bragging about. We'd better find them, quick!"

They took off through the park, looking for any sign of the werewolves, coming close to the pond.

*Bang!*

The two froze, hearing the gunshot coming from the left, and dove behind a large tree. Upon instinct, Puggsy held Brielle close. "Shh, keep quiet," he whispered, listening for any sound of the shooter.

"Come out, Brielle… I know where you're hiding," Vincent called, tauntingly. "Do you honestly believe running away will solve all your problems, that your little friend will come and save you every time you get into trouble?"

Puggsy held her tighter, scowling as he listened to the villain. Brielle hardly paid attention- she could only feel his heart racing, she was so close. She wanted to pull away, to face Vincent as she knew he was getting closer, before he could harm him again, yet at the same time she wanted stay close to him, hoping the hunter would go in another direction- or that Fangface or Nightclaw were nearby to attack him.

"Don't you see, Brielle? You've only dragged him into deeper trouble. You think he’ll be safe if you return to him and his friends? You’ll just be leading more hunters on them--- traitors are more crucial targets than the beasts we are sent to hunt. You're only taking days off his life if you keep going back to him- wasn't a bullet to his heart enough to convince you of that? I know about it- how fragile it is now, how if he gets too upset he could die… and it's all thanks to you."

Brielle shook with rage, wincing. The raven-haired teen rubbed her back to keep her calm. "Don't listen to him," Puggsy whispered to her. "He doesn't know what he's talking about,"

"Don't I?" Vincent asked casually, leaning against the other side of the tree, looking over at them.

They stumbled back, Puggsy keeping in front of Brielle. "Back off, Fondane! Come any closer, and you're going to get a one-way ticket to the afterlife!”

Vincent laughed. "Well, look at this- the tough guy is trying to be a hero for the girl. How swee-"

The raven-haired teen punched him square in the jaw, knocking out a couple teeth. "Are you Vinny-Con-Yuts required to talk more than you fight?"

Vincent rubbed his jaw, standing up and taking out his pistol. "I think I'll just stick to that promise I made and kill you," he growled, aiming it at him.

There was a snarl, and Fangface leaped out of a tree, landing on top of him. The pistol went off, shooting a tree Puggsy stood next to, nearly blasting his head off; he gripped his chest, his heart at a rapid pace. Brielle rushed to his side, though he waved her back, assuring he could hold out, and they looked ahead at the ongoing fight.

The werewolf grabbed the hunter by the shirt and swung him into a tree. "You leave my best buddy alone! (grr) I'm not going to let you hurt him again!" Fangface snarled, standing in front of Puggsy and Brielle.

"And I thought I had taught you a lesson- apparently, you weren't paying attention," Nightclaw growled, grabbing Vincent by the throat as he stepped out of the shadows. "Any last words?"

"Yes…" Vincent choked, then kicked the werewolf in the stomach, digging his heel into him while pulling free, and flipped out of his grasp. He then took out a dart-gun and took aim. "Sweet dreams!" He shot several darts at the werewolves, but they managed to dodge, as he kept shooting.

Nightclaw had rolled and stood up on the right side of Vincent. "Ha, missed!"

Vincent pointed down. "Did I?"

Nightclaw looked, seeing a dart in his tail. "Ah, crap," he said, feeling his body going numb.

Vincent punched him , watching as he dropped to the ground. He then turned to Fangface. "I won't bother wasting any darts on you…" he stated, then took out a sun-jewel. "I managed to learn about your little 'Achilles heel', Fangface. You may be a strong, fierce werewolf, but deep down…"

Fangface gasped, turning into Fangs, and Vincent grabbed him by the arm and flipped him onto the ground.

"You're nothing but a weakling,"

Puggsy ran and shoulder-slammed the hunter away from Fangs. "No one calls my friend a weakling unless it's me!" he sneered.

"Thanks Pugs… I think…" Fangs groaned as he tried to get up, but only fell back on the ground, his body still aching.

Vincent glowered. "I won't waste my breath with you," he sneered, then lunged, striking Puggsy in the ribs, catching him in a choke-hold while he was hunched over and punching his face. Puggsy swung his elbow into his ribcage repeatedly, managing to pull free and face the madman. The ache in his chest was turning into sheer agony, but that didn't keep him from fighting against the hunter.

Brielle looked, seeing the pistol on the ground and picked it up, looking back at them. Vincent had swung a kick, but Puggsy caught him by the ankle and yanked him to the ground, then kicked him in the ribs. Vincent caught his foot in turn and yanked, making him lose his balance and fall onto his back; the hunter took out a knife, crawling over him to stab his abdomen, but Puggsy caught both his hand, and wrapped his legs around the hunter's, managing to roll over so that he was on top, yet Vincent shoved him off.

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Before Vincent could make another move, Brielle had begun shooting at him, missing. "Nice try… but you're a horrible shot," the hunter sneered, then threw one of his knives, knocking the gun out of her hand. He then ran, stomped on Puggsy's back as he was getting up, and flipped through the air overhead, landing behind Brielle and grabbing the gun, aiming it at her.

Puggsy ran at him, and the hunter turned the aim on him.

"Psych!" Vincent pulled the trigger-

"Puggsy!" Brielle cried out, leaping at Vincent-

*BANG!*

Everything appeared to happen in slow motion. Brielle had leaped at the hunter, and he quickly reacted and turned the gun back on her, firing at the last second. Puggsy and Fangs watched as they both hit the ground, the hunter having been knocked over while Brielle lied on the ground on her back, blood seeping through her shirt.

"BRIELLE!" Puggsy screamed.

He saw red just then, as he looked back at Vincent as he sat up. Seeing the teen glaring at him, he grabbed his gun and tried firing… but realized it was out of bullets. Puggsy picked his discarded knife and pinned him to the ground, pressing the blade to his throat. "Go ahead… kill me.” Vincent challenged.

Puggsy, without hesitation, made a gash on the side of his face. “Then shut up and die!” he snarled, raising the knife ready to stab the hunter in the eye.

"Puggsy!" came a cry, and Fangs stumbled over, grabbing his shoulder with one hand while the other grabbed his wrist, tears gushing out of his eyes. "No… please don't! Don't be like him… you're not a killer!"

Puggsy glared at Vincent, who held his bleeding face; despite his stern expression, the short teen could make out a sense of fear in his eyes. He looked back at Fangs, seeing the same scared look on his eyes as well. They were the same horrified looks he always saw on his friend's faces whenever the hunter was nearby…

He stood up, pointing the knife at Vincent. "You don’t deserve the mercy of death anyway. You’re going to suffercate for the hell you’ve put us through. I’ll make sure of it,”

"Pugs…" came a moan, and they looked over, seeing that Brielle was still alive.

The short teen turned, handing the knife to Fangs as he rushed to her aid. "Brielle…?"

"Tell my mom… I'm sorry…” The blonde groaned. “I shouldn’t have left… I should have stayed with you…” she gave him a weak smile. “Thanks for coming to my rescue… I’m glad I got to see you, one… more… time…” she then coughed. “…sorry… it’s hard to talk… when you’re dying…”

Puggsy breathed shortly, the ache in his chest severe, the pounding of his heart agonizing. "No, please… you're stronger than this! You can handle anything!" he sat her up, holding her close. "If I can survive a bullet to the heart, so can you! You managed to make it through so much… please…" he began to sob, the pain in his chest increasing. "Don't go… we want you to stay with us… I want you to stay… please stay!"

Vincent stood up, approaching the teens as Puggsy sobbed over Brielle, while Fangs stood next to him, a hand on his shoulder. The hunter drew a knife, taking this chance…

Fangs saw his shadow, clenched his fist, then turned and stabbed the hunter in the shoulder, making him cry out in pain; the lanky teen then kicked him in the ribs, knocking him to the ground. "I'd stay down if I were you!" Fangface snarled through him, as he stood on their foe’s chest.

Chance suddenly ran over just then. "They're over here, hurry!" he called over his shoulder, rushing over to his brother, the rest of the gang following. They all gasped, seeing what had happened to Brielle.

"Someone call 9-1-1!" Biff shouted, and Kite quickly dialed on his cell phone.

Puggsy breathed rapidly, his breaths becoming shorter and shorter as he held Brielle. Everyone’s voices felt muffled, sounding more like running water, the entire world turning into a blur.

Suddenly, everything grew dark as he slipped out of consciousness, feeling nothing but pain in his heart. The last thing he remembered was falling beside Brielle, but didn't feel like he hit the ground. It felt as if they had fallen off the bridge again, only this time… they kept falling…


	33. Bullet from the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puggsy and Brielle once again find themselves in the hospital; this time, however, they stay at each other's side, and things finally turn in their favor.

_All he saw was white, as he had the first time he had a near-death experience, once again seeing Brielle's face, both of them reaching for each other… this time, they managed to grab hands. 'I thought I lost you,' he said._

' _I guess you found me again- like you always do,' she replied._

_He stared into her bright blue eyes, smiling as she did, realizing how beautiful she looked. She looked into his deep brown eyes, admiring his smile as she noticed how hansom he appeared._

' _You have a nice smile,'_

' _So do you.' They pulled each other closer._

_Suddenly, they began to pull away, an unknown force prying them apart. 'Puggsy?' Brielle reached out for him._

' _Brielle!' he did the same, straining to get back to her, but they were drifting farther way. 'Brielle! BRIELLE!'_

_He continued to reach out for her, even as he was yanked into a void of darkness._

_…_

Puggsy’s eyes shot open and he sat up, looking around. "Brielle?!" he gasped. He was back in the hospital, hooked back up to a heart-monitor, which beeped rapidly.

"Didn't I tell you to watch your heart-rate?" came a familiar voice, and he looked over, seeing Edwin sitting at the end of his bed, only rather than dressed as a doctor this time, he wore a black long-sleeved shirt, a brown coat, and khaki jeans. “Seriously, the crazy things kids do these days…”

"You! What are you doing back here? Where's Brielle?!"

The vampire chuckled a bit. "Brielle is the reason I'm back here. She's right over there," he pointed over, where the teenage girl lied, also hooked up to a heart-monitor.

Puggsy breathed rapidly. "Is she going to be alright?"

Edwin nodded. "Oh yes… but, however, there was a mix up in surgery, but I believe the sex-change won't affect her too much."

He stared at the vampire, gawking. "What?!"

Edwin busted out laughing. "I'm kidding! …Hey, you ought to share a little humor in places like this, you know. But, to be serious, there was a slim chance of her survival- she lost a lot of blood, though luckily you had your arms wrapped so tightly around her wound during your state of suspended animation that it managed to apply enough pressure and slow down the bleeding. And it's a good thing that bullet missed her heart, too- only hit beneath it in her ribs. You must have thought she had been shot in the heart as you had been, eh? But nope, it missed it, and you should be glad- her heart, though having lots of strength, appears to be quite fragile. In fact, it was amazing it was still beating, as if something just kept it going…"

Puggsy looked over at Brielle, noticing she was holding something in her hand. "What's in her hand?"

"Ah, yes, that." the vampire walked over, holding up her hand. "It's a bullet… the same bullet that you were shot with nights ago. I came back yesterday to retrieve it, planning on giving it to Brielle as a little memoir of your adventures, so she could have a piece of you with her when she left."

Puggsy sneered at him. "Sounds a little cryptic- she blamed herself for that night. Keeping that bullet would be like salt in the wound."

"It would be, but there's something special about it. It came straight from your heart," he walked back over. "Speaking of such, it amazed everyone that you survived as well. You had a heart attack and were once again on the verge of death… and yet it started beating again, all on its own. Either something helped it continue beating too- or you're more stubborn than I believed."

The teen rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'd like to stick around and chat, but I'm due back in England. I can't leave my shop in Wolfbane's care forever- she's my assistant, and tends to have a little 'too' much fun with our merchandise." he dug into his pocket, pulling out a cloth. "I have something else for you, before I go."

He handed it to the teen, and he unwrapped it, seeing it was another bullet. "Is this from her?"

"Yes, and I'd keep it with you. It may have not come from her heart… yet she took it for you, so I suppose it would be close enough."

Puggsy looked at the bullet, wincing. He turned to the vampire, yet he was gone.

Sighing, the raven-haired teen looked over at the blonde, the sounds of their heart monitors echoing in the now-quiet room. He grasped the bullet tightly, then unhooked the wires off of him (ignoring the alarming beeps that came from the machines), walking over and sitting down next to her.

"Thank you," he whispered, wincing as he placed his hand over hers.

"Don't… mention… it." came a quiet reply, and he lightly gasped, looking to see she opened her eyes, smiling at him.

“How long were you… ah forget it,” He smiled back, letting out a laugh of relief, and without thinking, hugged her. "I'm so glad you're okay,"

"I'm glad you are too… but… are you crying?"

He leaned back, wiping his eyes. "Y-Yeah, sort of. I was just worried that… you wouldn't make it."

"Oh come on… you can't get rid of me that easily." she looked at her hand just then, noticing the bullet, and saw Puggsy was holding one too. "What's with the bullets?"

Puggsy looked at his. "Your pal, Edwin, dropped by again… he said that's the bullet from my heart, and this is the one you took for me." he held it up, examining it. "He said we ought to keep 'em… and I don't know about you, but I'm going to take his advice,"

Brielle looked at the bullet in her hand, remembering that fateful night. "I will too… it'll remind me to be more careful… and remember how strong your heart really is,"

He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing a bit. “Yeah, well… I guess it had a reason to keep beating.”

She turned away, blushing. "Alright, lets stop there, before we sound like something out of a romance flick."

"Heh, glad you caught me. I'm not one for romance,"

"Same here,"

They sat in silence for a while, and Puggsy looked out the window. He wondered if things would have been like this if she had stayed at the hospital the first night… Probably not, he figured, with as much banter they put each other through. But once the air was cleared and amends were made, he found she was really easy to get along with…

Dare he admit, he actually liked her.

"…I like you too, by the way.” She spoke out of the blue.

His eyes widened a bit, and he looked at her. “H-Huh?”

She blushed again, an embarrassed look on her face. “S-Sorry! It’s just… I mean the way you held me before I slipped out of consciousness, and when you said you wanted to keep the bullet… Er, did I misunderstand something? I-I don’t have any experience in this sort of thing. I never got around to dating, and--- is it getting warmer in here?”

Puggsy chuckled, patting her on the back. “Nah… it’s normal to feel that way. I’ve had some dating experiences before, so maybe I can help you figure it out.” He itched the side of his face, blushing again. “I mean… I like you too, so… why not, right?”

She smiled at him, chuckling a bit. “Yeah. Why not? …Provided none of our dates involve running from some psychopath,”

"Heh, here’s hoping!” He put an arm around her shoulders. "I think it'll work out,"

*BAM!*

The door shot open just then, and Fangs ran in. "PUGGSY! BRIELLE! YOU'RE BOTH ALI- WHOA!" he cried, slipping across the floor and crashing into a waste-bin, then stumbled back over. "Alive!"

The others ran in, exclaiming how happy they were that their friends had once again survived another brush with death. A few nurses came in with them, upon hearing the machine Puggsy was hooked to blaring, though turned off the alarm once they were assured he was fine.

Tension entered the room just then when Brielle's parents came in. Tanya walked up to her daughter, her hands clenched tightly together. "Honey… are you alright?" she asked, sheer concern in her voice.

Brielle nodded, nervously.

"How… how did it happen?"

Puggsy held her close, looking at Brielle, then at her mother. "She saved my life." he replied.

"So I've heard. You must get into a lot of trouble if you keep winding up in the hospital,"

Brielle's heart rate began to increase in speed, as she clenched her hands tightly.

"Yet… you manage to handle it quite well, considering you are still alive. I was so worried when you were taken away… Even while I was with your father here in the hospital, we couldn’t stop wondering if we would ever see you again--- we always thought that since the day you ran away, but this time it was different. I know I’m a pessimist, your father points that out every chance he gets, so… I’m sorry I never had any faith in you. Ever since you were born, I thought of you as nothing but a fragile child…

“After speaking to your cousin and the Thorn agents, learning how much you survived, I suppose I was wrong. And your cousin has convinced me that by forcing you to come home… it won’t fix anything. I still wish that you would come home with us… but on your own terms. If anything, call more often!”

Brielle looked at her mom; after so many years, she managed to smile at her. “I will. Don’t worry. I can come home… that is, if it’s okay if I bring a few friends,” she motioned to Puggsy and the gang. “I think we’ve had enough of hotels for a while,”

“Of course,” Tanya smiled, but wagged her finger at her daughter. “But don’t think you’re off the hook! From now on, whenever you go somewhere, I want you to be with your cousin and her friends! They’ve apparently been in enough trouble to know how to get out of it--- they may be able to teach you a thing or two. And I’ll see to it your brother checks in on you! And I still want you to pay us back for the money you took--- in fact, you can start by giving us a special acknowledgment in your magazine,”

“I know a few good publishers. They’ve been in need for some fresh talent,” Kiff added, and looked at the gang. “And with all the interesting people you’ve met so far, I think your first issue will sell in a heartbeat!”

Brielle’s eyes began to water. Just the other day, she was at war with her mother and felt nothing but tension… now, she was feeling the love and support that she had always wanted. “Thank you… but… I really don’t deserve it, not after all I’ve---“ she began to state.

“We are not going to argue about it. There has been enough ill-will between us, Brielle,” Her mother stated, resting a hand on her shoulder. “I was wrong to try to control your life… I want to see you grow.”

The blonde winced, and hugged her mother, who returned the embrace.

Kasandra leaned against Fangs. "Looks like we have a new member in the gang,” she stated, with a smile.

“Hey, we’re always happy to have a new recruit,” Biff quipped, having his arm around Kim; his co-leader nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and she’s invited us to stay at her place! Maybe they have a Jacuzzi we can use!” Fangs exclaimed.

Puggsy threw a pillow at him. “We’ve been in enough hot water as it is, pin-head.”

Kasandra gave him a look, before caressing Fangs’ cheek. “I think it would be nice. The two of us relaxing side by side…”

Kiff developed a mischievous smirk. “Hey, that’s how your parents said you came along! …Sherman, you’d better be carrying protection!”

“Whoa, now!” Kite exclaimed in a chuckle, looking around. “Everyone in here is 18, right??”

“Kiff!” Tanya scolded though could not withhold a chuckle, while the others stifled their giggles or held their tongues.

“P-Protection for what??” Fangs stammered, confused. Kasandra could only facepalm, blushing. 

“(Obviously, my uncle’s shot-gun if this yut doesn’t know how to use a rubber),” Brielle whispered to Puggsy, who had to bite his fist to keep from laughing. 


	34. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't you love it when, after you survived one traumatic experience after another, took out the madman who was out for blood, and recovered from a near-death experience, that you manage to find love in the end?
> 
> If not, then Puggsy and Brielle would have to disagree.
> 
> (In other words, the final chapter).

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Three Weeks Later, On The Road…**

After their friends checked out of the hospital, the Fangface Gang was back on the road, heading to New York; they had spent a week in Omaha, and after bidding her parents a decent farewell Brielle joined the gang on one of their many trips.

"By the way, whatever happened to Vincent?" the blonde asked.

"The Thorn's took him into custody- from what I heard, this 'Nightclaw' werewolf said he was going to keep watch on him, and didn't have a merciful tone when he said it either," Kasandra replied.

"I hope we meet them again someday," Kim said with a grin. "Kite looks like he'd be fun to hang out with,"

"Same with Gin- I'm glad the agency is helping her get proper counseling," Biff agreed. “We might go visit her sometime.”

"Well, I'm just glad the whole scenario is finally over," Puggsy stated, leaning back.

"No argument there,” Fangs agreed, mimicking his action.

They stopped at a hotel with a beach, as the sun began to set. Biff had gone to lie down after a long drive, Kim sat in a chair reading a new book she had bought, Fangs and Kasandra sat on the other bed watching television, and Puggsy and Brielle stood on the balcony.

“So… I’ll be meeting your family next, right? Does your cousin Toni still want to kick my ass?” The blonde asked.

“Eh, not quite as much as before. Once I told them everything, they lightened up and were just happy you’re on our side--- though she might pin you as a double-agent for a while. Truth be told, I think Mom’s still more concerned about Chance joining some elite agency!”

“How did she find out, again?”

“You got me--- somehow, we could never keep a secret from Mom.”

“Heh, well, hopefully I’ll be in her good graces.”

They looked back at the sight of the ocean, watching as the sun set on the horizon. "Sure is a beautiful sight. …Kinda gives you a weird feeling inside, huh?"

"You mean outside of my urge to push you over the balcony?"

He turned to her, giving her a look. "If I have to deal with any more of your cracks, I'll send you back to Omaha,"

She only smirked. "What can I say? I think you’re cute when you’re mad,"

He scoffed, smiling. "Yeah, well, if this is going to work out, we'll have to do something to keep your mouth shut,"

"Yeah? I'd like to see you-"

He then kissed her on the lips, before she could finish.

*Slap!*

He rubbed his face. "Ow! What was that for?!" he sneered.

"I couldn't help it, you caught me by surprise! I mean, I've never really been kissed before, so… it's kind of new for me," she said in a blush, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah, but was the slapping really necessary? Geez…"

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Is that better?"

He gave her a look, but grinned. "A little… but, ah, I think you struck my mouth, too."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, come here then…"

He pulled her close, and their lips gently touched; she hesitated and he waited, before she felt comfortable enough to continue.

Inside, Kim looked out the window, seeing their embrace, and smiled to herself. "Way to go, Puggsy," she said, proud for her friend.

They pulled away after a few seconds. "How was that?" Puggsy asked her.

"I don't know… I keep seeing fireworks," Brielle responded, blinking a bit. "…and I think I just blurted out the cheesiest line in history,"

Puggsy chuckled, resting his head against hers. "Don't worry about it. I think we'll both get used to this 'romance' stuff,"

"I hope so… I like it," She rested her head on his shoulder.

He put his arms around her shoulders, holding her close. "Me too,"

There came howling from inside just then, and they looked to see the moon was shown on TV, and the werewolves were looking around for them.

They turned to each other. "You got my back?" Puggsy asked.

"Only if you've got mine," Brielle replied with a shrug, and they walked inside.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading the story. My gosh, after going through it, I made so many edits (re-reading old fics is like going through your high school yearbook! *facepalm*) May this story be proof that I have grown as a writer! ...I think!
> 
> Special thanks to Tracker78, Scoobycool9, and my boyfriend who allowed me to include their characters:
> 
> Kasandra/Hunter Bickerson, Lilly and Blaze Bickerson, Vincent Fondane, Martin Bickerson *mentioned* (c) Tracker78  
> Matthew "Twiggy" Thorn/Nightclaw, Sammy/Claw Fangsworth and Ryan Thorn *mentioned* (c) Scoobycool9  
> Kite/Kitefang Silver, Edwin Miles Smith, Marlow Bellington, and Lucy Silver *mentioned* (c) Fangface the Second (aka my boyfriend)
> 
> All other original characters belong to me. 
> 
> Fangface (c) Ruby-Spears Productions.


End file.
